The Wandering Prince
by InuYaoi
Summary: Sesshomaru drifts for dark reasons. His wandering leads him to Kagome-who reluctantly becomes his companion. It's a prickly arrangement, what with him being a stoical spirit and her being the opposite. But they have a deep curiosity for one another, and soon discover not only the reason for this but the grim history of Inuyoukai.
1. Look out below!

**This story will get dark, grim, sexual, funny, etc. It's also my first fic and was written exactly like one. Lots of ideas thrown about. I'll rewrite one day... maybe.**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Nearly four years had passed since Kagome, Inuyasha and the gang finished off Naraku for good. It turns out that the evil bastard was the primary reason why there was so much heck far and wide, and since Naraku wasn't getting any deader, the lands no safer, the young Miko took the liberty of venturing home more frequently to battle with another demon—her studies.

Aside from the ongoing wars between humans, which couldn't be helped, danger from the youkai variety was practically nonexistent. The tranquility threatened to put Inuyasha's trade out of business, and because of that, Kagome, who had always been confident in his strength felt little guilt spending more and more time away from the Edo era in favor of her own time.

Her disappearing act originally commenced once a week, then once every other week until eventually once every other month.

Inuyasha was hung through the motions.

At first, he didn't take her desire to excel at her studies seriously. Seeing Kagome only once a week? Like hell he would. During those first few years of adjusting to high school life again, Kagome only visited the old time on the weekend—at least that was her plan.

The half-demon was adamant that he would not see his Miko _only_ once a week and invited himself to continuously stalk across time in pursuit of her. Kagome originally pretended that it annoyed her on the outside-much to Inuyasha's amusement-but on the inside, that couldn't have been further from the truth. Then, she loved that adorable dog-eared fool and just having him around felt good. Really good. Your crush impatiently waiting outside of your school good.

Apparently, if the stalked were fond of the stalker then no boundaries were crossed.

That went on seemingly forever until her senior year of high school. Inuyasha wasn't sure if he truly understood what a college was, but considering how fraught Kagome was during something called the "finals" he knew it had to be very important to her. Despite knowing that he still struggled to adapt to her shift in priorities.

During that year she was particularly consumed by her strange writing book work. He scowled, bitched and tolerated her neglect in the best way a brash young half breed could.

The reason why he did not stay back with Sango, Shippo and the others was that he could not bear to wait a week without seeing her, but when she grew increasingly more indifferent to his presence he began to feel deeply disrespected.

So, one day, and after years of steady and growing indifference from her, Inuyasha saw to it to give her a taste of her own medicine. During this visit, and with his clawed hand supporting his head, he huffed and puffed with the intent to capture attention as he sat on her bedroom floor. His companion was doing the usual, studying and ignoring him.

The Miko heard Inuyasha's increasingly aggravating attempts to get her attention but she was just too focused and too accustomed to his antics to care. Kagome was now a sophomore in college and it was crunch time, winter finals loomed and neglected hanyou be damned.

"Kami, wench it's like all you ever do these days is read, read, read. It's fucking annoying," he bit out, but not before sucking his teeth.

No response.

Not so much as an attempt to acknowledge half of his humanity.

Too prideful to admit that he grew tired of feeling slighted, his clothing angrily shifted and swished as he scrambled onto his feet. He was visually irritated standing there in the middle of her bedroom, unsure of what to do next. He finally settled on crossing his arms and glaring at the back of her head with fury, swearing something he didn't mean in his head. To that his features creased, transforming into anguished longing as he watched her carry on with her writing.

Having noticed his crowded movements in her peripheral, her hand writing on autopilot, Kagome blessed him with attention.

"Inuyasha, please. Can you _just_ be more patient? I'm almost done," she said with an expectant tone of irritation. He knew that tone all too well. Those days it seemed like that was the only inflection she had to spare when she spoke to him.

The hanyou had enough.

He wasn't going to give her the luxury of taking his loyalty for granted anymore. Debating, he switched between looking at the Miko and her bedroom window. He considered the unthinkable while pouting with silent hurt and hesitant to commit to his gall. "Kagome," she heard him say softly with need, but her issued reply, a frustrated grunt, evidence of her broken concentration had reunited the hanyou with his nerves. "I'm going home," he announced, finding irony in stealing her idiosyncrasies.

Bare feet carried him to the pane that once stood as a portal within a portal. It used to house warmth and romance behind it, but now…

Scant hope remained, and still Inuyasha waned, looking back at his frigid love, hoping, praying that she could be assed to take notice.

She didn't.

He jumped.

She would never admit it to him but she felt relieved that he took it upon himself to leave. Years ago, she would have immediately stopped what she was doing to tend to his emotional state but now…

Circumstances and feelings differed…

Besides, if she was to become an archaeologist she would need to study hard and not allow Inuyasha's theatrics to distract her. He could wait a few more days until she hopped over to visit him and the rest of the gang anyway.

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

Back in his own era, Inuyasha sat by the well, confident that it would only be a matter of time before his Kagome came rushing back with an apology.

Well, that shit didn't happen.

Dusk approached and she was nowhere to be found. Seething with disbelief he sprang up into a nearby tree and sulked. He didn't see her again for a few more days. What made matters worse is that when that day arrived not only did she pretend she didn't slight him she never said she was sorry for neglecting him.

As always arranged, every week she visited for a few days with modern goodies in her bag. Normally, everyone gathered around Kaede's residence during this time. Sango and Miroku returned a day before her scheduled arrival.

Where they went during the week no one knew.

They were in that magical honeymoon phase of their relationship. In all honesty, they probably could have been tossing rocks in a lake somewhere and chances are they would have had the time of their lives doing so.

The thought of their happiness irritated Inuyasha more than he liked to admit. He never thought he would feel jealous of their new-found love. Sango was okay with the monk caressing her body in once off-limits places.

That really made Inuyasha see red.

 _Goddammit_ , he bitterly thought to himself as he melodramatically stuffed his clawed hands into the sleeves of his fire rat clothing.

 _And Kagome over there is actin' like she don't give a damn about me. Goddamn, this is pissing me off._

Little did he know of the thoughts and emotions Kagome would soon put him through. Coming to grips with seeing her a few times a week one thing, adjusting to seeing her a few times a month was agony.

As her senior year neared the finish line he struggled with the notion that Kagome would always put her studies before him. The days of his adorable companion rushing back to be with him were coming to an end.

The realization of such was depressing.

At first, he acted as if it didn't bother him. His indifference was obviously a lie but he dared not tell anyone of his feelings, let alone Kagome. Chances are she wouldn't have given a fuck anyway.

Everyone else adjusted to her less than frequent visits. They had other things to do. Even Shippo had other activities to fill in his free time. He often disappeared for longer stretches of time than Kagome to train his demon abilities with other young foxes.

One thing for sure, all this peace was becoming a real drain. And like before he found himself spending more and more time alone. The sting of her visiting less and less dulled with time—until she reopened the wound of his longing for her by showing up every so often.

And that was how things were. At least until a power-hungry dragon demon shattered the peace near the Northern mountains. That demon caused such a fuss that a messenger sought out the skills of the trusty ol' gang. Suddenly there was something to do, much to the relief of Inuyasha. With Shippo and the miko busy with their own studies, it was up to the half-demon, the slayer and the monk to ensure that tranquility was restored.

To say the least Inuyasha was pretty freaking excited and itching to get the show on the road. The journey was expected to be long and challenging. The destructive dragon's territory was in a region far away. Inuyasha could run for days on end and it would still take weeks to get there, let alone scale the mountainous terrain.

"Better check ya shit now because once we get going I ain't turning back for nothin'." Miroku nodded at the hanyou and asked Sango if she had the necessary supplies. After she assured the monk that she had everything they needed the trio made way out of Kaede's village.

"Okay, I've got Sango's tampons, Miroku's deodorant and Inuyasha's favorite snacks," Kagome mumbled to herself.

It was time for her bi-monthly trip to the old time. Finals were brutal this year but she aced her exams and was relieved that it was now winter break. Only during these periods of extended vacation did she visit more frequently. She knew her friends would be stoked to see her more often during those few weeks.

Satisfied with her haul she made her way down the stairs and told her mother she was leaving. Knowing where she was going Kagome's mom told her to be careful as she walked out the front door.

"Oh wow… it's so cold out here this morning."

Zipping up her jacket she walked towards the magical shrine.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Inuyasha wasn't the only one who felt restless these days.

Sesshomaru found himself wandering across Japan more frequently. With the western lands secure he often roamed outside of his royal territory, slaying the odd unruly demon when he felt like it. But that opportunity didn't come around too often and quite frankly he was _bored_. He didn't intend to make his way towards Inuyasha's forest it just so happened to be in the way.

Rumor has it a young dragon came of age and was itching to expand his territory.

Unfortunately, for that young upstart the demon lord intended to investigate, and by investigate that meant destroy.

Gracefully, he traveled through the still forest as a cool and gentle breeze stirred his tress.

Then he registered a familiar scent.

It had been nearly four years since he last smelled her but he knew who it was.

 _Inuyasha's miko_.

It's not that her scent surprised him or anything. No, not at all. What intrigued him was how her essence seemingly appeared out of thin air. He should have detected her before he entered the wooded area.

Sure, she was miko but she was still ill-trained. Her aura insured of him that very fact, but how did she gain the ability to completely hide her scent and energy despite that?

Silently, he strode in the direction of her smell, suppressing his overwhelming youki as he went.

Before he happened upon Kagome, in one swift motion he leaped into a tree and concealed himself from her view. Hiding his youki would suffice. It's not like she would be able to detect him by scent.

 _Hn…_

Kagome was hauling herself out of a weathered-looking well. Sesshomaru could smell that his half-brother traveled to this area regularly but the scent was stale. It has been some time since he last been there but why did he hang around this area anyway? And why was the miko pulling herself from this well? Surely, she couldn't have been doing it for her own amusement.

Humans were strange indeed.

Mildly interested, a sheet of cascading silver spilled over his shoulder as he cocked his head to one side, soaking in the girl below.

She changed.

While she didn't look to be much older, she did age rapidly compared to him due to her own morality. It would take the young master another several hundred years to match her progression.

Her hair slightly longer, figure ever so curvier, amber slid up and down her form. Kagome didn't have on that indecent and flowy outfit but her clothes were still rather revealing, albeit in a different way.

Sesshomaru had never seen such form-fitting pants. It looked as if the material had been painted on the lower half of her body. So taut were her tights he could see her rear and thighs jiggling with each stride.

Sesshomaru scoffed and looked away.

It's not like he was checking her out or anything…

He pushed her figure out of his mind remained puzzled as to why it seemed like she appeared out of thin air. Something wasn't right here and he was fascinated enough to stick around and try to find out what was going on.

He continued to stalk the ningen as she looked around, confused.

Kagome expected her friends to be there and waiting for her. She assumed they were most likely occupied with something else in the village, so, she made her way down the worn path to Kaede's hut, unable to shake a nagging feeling that, perhaps, she wasn't alone on the outskirts of the forest.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

She didn't see her comrades as she walked through the village.

That was unusual.

If they weren't by the well they were normally someplace nearby. When she got to Kaede's home she walked in and greeted her. Despite her disappointment, she was always happy to see that the old priestess was still in good health for her age.

Always generous the old woman offered Kagome some of her delicious stew.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry right now. I'll probably eat when everyone else gets back."

"My child you'll wither away to nothing by the time the others return," Kaede replied as she took a large spoon to her simmering meal.

"Wait, what? Where did they go?"

Kaede covered the pot and slowly lowered her old bones onto a lovely pillow the thoughtful miko gifted her. Kagome plopped down next to her, a testament of her youth, and gave the old woman her full attention.

"Inuyasha and the others were summoned to kill a demon far away from here. Not just any demon but a dragon demon. I'm afraid ye will not get to see them for at least another new moon."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

It was just an ordinary well.

Sesshomaru entertained the idea that maybe there was a secret passage inside but after looking down he only saw vines that spread across the walls and a branch that didn't quite reach the bottom.

The miko's scent was utterly saturated here. For whatever reason she had been crawling out of that well for years. That didn't make any sense. Neither did the surge of power it also emitted. He recognized that energy.

The demon recalled when she fired a sacred arrow in his direction during the period when he was after his brother's blade. It gave him the same hair-raising sensation then too.

There weren't many things in his time that left him wondering. Curiosity was novel. So, he permitted it to take seize and jumped into the well.

Things were getting weird for the Lord of the West down there.

He noticed that his greatest sense was significantly hindered while standing at the bottom. A nagging discomfort spread across his body, akin to walking through a weakened barrier.

His jaw rigid with annoyance, the nosy youkai took in every inch of the enclosed space.

Sesshomaru didn't come any closer to figuring out the mystery. If anything all he did was change his point of view - at least until an object fell from the heavens and knocked him upside his head.

An involuntary snarl tore from his throat and ricocheted around him. In an instant, purely reactionary, he engaged his poison claws and impaled what dared to accost his perfect head of silk.

Kagome, startled and having no more than a leg in the well, jerked and said, _"_ What the…"

 _A satchel?_ Disregarding the tiny voice in his head that suggested that _he_ overreacted, Sesshomaru glanced up and saw _her_ before she saw _him_.

With no effort, he sprang out of well and balanced himself on the rim. The red that had bled into his pools slowly dissipated as their eyes met.

Kagome was given the fright of her life, and when that mother fucker popped out of the ground like deranged daisy she nearly purified him.

"What the—Sesshomaru?!," she screamed, "W-why are you here?"

As his features calmed, he stepped off the lip and gave her the pleasure of staring at his back. The demon lord was peering into the well again, and there was a contemplative hush before he responded.

"Ningen, why did you throw your carrier into this well?"

Kagome hesitated.

Sesshomaru had no reason to ever come near Inuyasha's forest. He was the last person on earth she ever expected to come bursting out of the portal to her time.

"Uh, no reason." She lied. _Why the hell is he here?_

Sesshomaru allowed a small frown to disturb his face as a variety of skeptical silence stretched out between them.

What broke the hush was the gentle _flit_ of his hair sliding over his fine clothing as he gave her a sidelong glance from over his armored shoulder. The demon before her could detect her anxiety- and her lie.

"Do you take me for a fool?"

"I-what I do with my things is none of your business! You nearly gave me a heart attack!'

Devastating silence.

"Your property struck this one. My request to know why is valid," he said flatly.

Something fell to the bottom of Kagome's skull. She suspected it was her brain falling out her mouth. Sesshomaru was still staring at her out of the corner of his eye. She caught his gaze and shifted her attention to his feet. It was wise not to cross this demon. She had to be clever. The problem was how does one pull the wool over the eyes of the ultimate canine?

"You had no reason to be in there. It's your own fault you were in the way of my bag," She imparted with an air of faux self-righteousness, if not all out rudeness.

Sesshomaru all but scoffed as he turned around.

She really intended to try him. Not to say he was the least bit surprised. Humans were incapable of genuine respect unless their lives were in danger.

Her tone irked him. She spoke to his half-brother in such a way but to speak to the Lord of the West as if his presence was nothing more than an inconvenience was unacceptable.

" _Ningen_ , when this one questions you he expects answers. Are you aware of who you are speak— "

"— _Youkai…"_ Kagome cut in, her voice tight, "I'm _aware_ of who I'm speaking to, and still you have no right appear out of nowhere and question _my_ motives."

Sesshomaru bit back a snarl, the corners of his mouth twitching. _The gall of this mortal_.

Youkai had various stations. She not only cut him off but she had the _audacity_ to just refer to him as _a_ demon, like they were all the same.

Through the grace of Kami was the only reason he didn't strike her down where she stood. Her tone...that tone of hers proved she wasn't accustomed to acknowledging superiors.

The aristocrat then decided that it was up to him to educate her. After all, Sesshomaru was a lord who was fond of higher education, and it would be a shame if her lack of tact ended up being the reason why she suddenly turned up missing.

He glided over to her, invading her personal space and stopping just shy of a hand's length from her face.

Okay, so she fucked up.

One of the most powerful beings in this time was glaring down at her.

Taking a glance, she caught his gaze and threw it back, looking away when she felt a shiver crawl up her spine.

Eyes like Inuyasha's yet so different. Behind that collected demeanor was a feral force that came standard with pristine linage, and the first time in years she truly felt intimidated.

But there was something else she was feeling. Too aware of her morality at that very moment she involuntary pushed that other unknown sensation elsewhere.

Why?

Because her senses were short-circuiting.

She was positive smoke billowed from her ears.

The Inuyoukai was unmoved, he stood tall and domineering, daring her to break her rank and meet his gold again.

"Lord Sesshomaru," he said so close she could feel it. Kagome held her breath half to death. "That is what you will refer to me as, do you understand, Miko?"

When she nodded vigorously his amber eyes narrowed.

"Look at me. I cannot hear you."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru," She squeaked as she inched away from him.

He didn't move.

His eyes followed her and she crept ever so closer to the well.

When she felt the rim grazing against the back of her leg she sat down on the ledge.

"You will answer me. Why did you throw your— "

Kagome tilted her body and fell backwards.

Sesshomaru thought the girl had gone mad until it hit him—an intense wave of energy that raised every hair far and wide across his body.

It felt like the power he sensed at the bottom of the portal, only this time it was a lot stronger, more than he had ever imagined.

In an instant, her scent, her energy— everything was gone. It was if she was never there to begin with.

The wandering prince moved to peer down the well.

His brows rose to his fringe _._

 _How interesting. She vanished._


	2. The Arrangement

**This chapter has a lot of dialogue. I struggled with it so I smoked a lot tree and got on with it. Thank you for the favorites, follows and reviews. If it's not too much to ask, please leave an honest review so I can improve.**

* * *

Kagome arrived in her own time with a bump.

And a thump.

It hurt, a lot. This wasn't your run of the mill smash your foot into the corner of your bedframe kind of pain, it was your fall into a well head first kind of pain. She told herself that it was a great idea to not move for a short half an hour. Confident everything was still were it's supposed to be, she shakily picked herself up.

 _I am such an idiot._

Climbing the ladder was an ordeal.

 _I just threw myself down a well. I'm not used to this crap._

Another first in nearly four years—a back breaking fall. Funny how the body can get used to not being blasted away by the special attack of some troublesome demon. Reaching the top Kagome threw her leg over and then made her way to her house.

She slid the front door open and called out.

No answer.

 _Thank Kami._

Walking into the kitchen, she opened the frig and twisted the cap off a bottled water. Then she sat down at the table, basking in the tranquility of her empty home. Perfect timing too. It would hard to explain to your mother why you're bruised and _only_ bleeding a little. Eventually she allowed herself to recall what just happened.

 _What an arrogant bastard. 'Call me Lord Sesshomaru,'_ she mocked _. Jerk._ It was bad enough she had to call any male her Lord, but for it to be Inuyasha's brother agitated her. How was she to know he was sniffing around in Bone Eater's well? It's not like he's done that before. _How long was he creeping around that day? I could have SWORN I felt something shady when I first got there._ Everything about today was terrible. What a great start to her winter vacation. All she wanted to do was relax, do some shopping, spend the holidays with the folks and see her friends. That wasn't too much to ask for. It was well deserved. She got good grades, drank socially, wasn't pregnant, did her own laundry and was STD free. She was a good girl dammit.

 _I had no idea he was in there. I always toss my bag in first…and…I LEFT MY BAG._

It wasn't fair that she was the unfortunate fool who dropped a bookbag on a Daiyoukai but it happened. The cherry on top? Leaving her belongings unguarded in the past. Her friends understood the rules for having items from her time—burn or hide anything you don't plan on using at once. Kagome broke one of the biggest rules.

That's two major fuck ups in one day.

She groaned. What an unnecessary mess she got herself into.

A hot bath sounded great.

* * *

He stared into the darkness for hours. A rational mind does gymnastics when making sense of unexplainable occurrences. His next theory was that she may have been studying an impressive concealment spell from the time Naraku died to his present day. The spell was _that good_. For a human miko to be that undetectable to that Sesshomaru was no easy feat. Although, he wasn't entirely convinced she mastered any spell. He settled on the possibility of her being some sort of prodigy after combing through his mind for answers. But just in case it was a spell he knew she would have to reveal herself eventually.

So, he waited.

The night was as still as he. Glowing predatory eyes trapped the light of the full moon as he switched between gazing into the gateway of Kagome's world and the inky darkness of the forest. Sesshomaru had many years under his belt dedicated to mastering the art of patience. Canids sure did love the thrill of a hunt, especially the chase, but they also took some pointers from feline youkai. Prey items can also be had by waiting for them to come to you.

Then something dawned on him. The miko disappeared in such a hurry she didn't take her bag. Come to think of it even her belongings were strange. So distracted by trying to figure what happened earlier that day he didn't entertain the thought of searching through her things. Under normal circumstances he would have never lowered himself to creeping through a human's belongings. Good thing today was anything but normal. Standing in the same place he had been when she left for half the night was long enough. Once again, he jumped to the bottom of the well to fetch her satchel.

The only reason it wasn't a melted puddle of whatever material it was made out of was because the moment his hand went through the item he turned off the acid factory. Even though it had a gaping hole through it wasn't damaged to such an extent that he couldn't go through the contents of it. Not caring for the sensation he felt in the well he jumped out and sat on the ground at the base. Immediately he noticed the foreign smells from the bag. He smelled her scent and the smell of other humans. Not just humans nearby but from _others_ as well. There were similarities to the scent. He concluded it may have been her family members.

The scent of various humans was the most boring thing about the bag. What captivated him was the scents of the unknown. Despite his many years on earth he couldn't identify what on earth he was detecting. Now things were really getting interesting. So much about that bag seemed other worldly. This miko was the only mortal that left him with more questions than there were answers. Dragon youkai be damned. The opportunity to learn something not documented was too good to pass up. Sesshomaru was confident by the time this got sorted out he would be able to increase his already oppressive strength.

A book caught his attention.

Thumbing through it he had no idea what the contents were—it was written in an alien language. The cover had an image of the remains of a creature he never seen before. Not knowing any better he assumed it was the artwork of the greatest painter that ever lived. Sesshomaru made a mental note to ask the miko where he could find such an artist.

Satisfied with his snooping, everything he pulled from Kagome's bag laid scattered on the ground. Sitting amongst her things he continued to wait.

* * *

Inuyasha was not around to help this time. If Kagome wanted to retrieve her things she was going to have to do it herself.

Just not now. It was night out and she was dog tired.

The bath did help sooth her sore body (the pain killers she took helped more) but she needed at least a few days to sleep off the rest of the hurt. Carefully she climbed into bed.

 _No one even goes to the thing anyway. I can rest for now. I bet that prick will be gone too_.

As she settled into a comfortable position she closed her eyes and saw his. With a jolt, she opened hers. That demon had some intense peepers. Eyes alone can let anyone know Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are related, but the elder brother had something wild about him. Like looking a golden retriever in the eye and then doing the same to a wolf. To be frank it startled her. The sore miko could not recall ever being that close to Sesshomaru's face before.

And yet, it excited her.

She rolled onto her stomach.

That was the feeling she refused to acknowledge all evening and now it kept her from sleeping. He was domineering. Sesshomaru had that artform perfected but there was something else.

 _I guess he's alright looking._

"Wow," she said with disbelief, "I did not just think that." Cringing into her pillow she eventually fell asleep.

The next few days were like that. She didn't do much. Thankfully none of her family members took notice of her tender movements. The clever girl came up with a lie when her mom asked why she returned sooner than usual. Kagome said she got her period a few days early and had PMS. Her mother believed her since she spent the last few days hiding in her room. And so she wouldn't worry, the teen told her she was going back over tonight for a festival.

She checked her phone. 7:13 p.m.

Time to go. Kagome left it to charge, no point in bringing something that wouldn't work.

A recent warm front made the late fall weather more mild than usual. Only a hoodie needed tonight.

The plan was simple. Get her crap, leave and later visit her friends during spring break. They will understand. Kaede would tell everyone she did show up but expectantly returned. No one needed to know about this…situation. She was sure Sesshomaru wouldn't say anything about it.

 _Probably because I smacked him with my bag,_ she thought while smirking.

It was sort of funny. It's a shame she was involved, otherwise Kagome would have found it a lot funnier.

Outside her house, she walked towards the shrine. Inside she prepared herself.

 _Be quick, be quiet. Be quick, be quiet._

Then she jumped.

* * *

Suddenly she was there.

 _Is this really a spell?_

He knew she was there even though Kagome didn't move the first few minutes. Hooded eyes widened in realization. The miko was trying to be stealthy. That settled the debate he had with himself the last few days.

She's a stupid prodigy.

Sesshomaru could have killed her. The poor young lady would be dead before he reached the bottom. She had no idea he was there. Fear radiated from area, and if not for his breeding other youkai would have sought out the area. No wonder she attached herself to his brother's hip.

Kagome had been chanting something about being quick and quiet to herself when she noticed the bookbag wasn't on the ground. She mouthed a silent f-bomb. This was going to take a little longer than she originally thought. She froze and listened, but heard nothing over the just detectable white-noise one hears in a silent room. Certain that the coast was clear, Kagome grabbed a few vines and tugged. Satisfied with the strength she placed a foot on the wall, looked up and screamed.

A shadowy figure with a set that reflected what small light the moon gave petrified her. It didn't move, didn't make a sound. It just stared. A spontaneous shudder traveled through her body.

How disturbing.

No wonder the people of this time feared demons.

"S-Sesshomaru?"

Silence.

The youkai blinked and boy was it ever alarming.

 _Okay, that is the creepiest thing I ever seen,_ she thought, mouth unable to close. He was still there. Sesshomaru was still fucking there. Kagome staggered as she leaned against a wall, never taking her eyes off the demon. It was instinct. Prey never breaks eye contact with the predator unless they have an opening to make a break for it. There was no such opening. She was trapped and at the mercy of Inuyasha's homicidal brother. His deep voice finally broke the silence.

"Miko, why did you throw your bag into the well?"

Kagome might as well have heard a record scratch.

"Are you serious?!"

She couldn't believe it. This asshole waited by the enchanted well for days JUST to ask her why she hit him with her bag. Unbelievable. To think royalty could be so petty. Fear gave way to aggravation as she held on to his gaze steadfast.

"Like I said, it's none of your business," she hissed defiantly while crossing her arms.

"Hnn."

The swishing noise the increasingly pissed off miko heard was the sound of Sesshomaru's robes shifting as he rose to his feet. He threw his hair over his shoulder and jumped down. A clawed hand grabbed her hoodie and in one fluid motion, he dragged her out of the well. She landed on the grass with a thud. It happened so quickly, there was no time to react. A sharp bolt of pain ripped throughout her body. She had yet to fully recover from her earlier fall. Needless to say she was feeling rather abused these days.

The lord decided to not be fooled again. Getting her away from the well insured that she wouldn't be able to simply disappear again before his questions were answered. He'd pluck her from out of the air if he had to. Whatever it will take to prevent her from vanishing.

"I detest having to repeat myself," he said with a hint of irritation, "Speak to me with the respect I am entitled to."

Kagome sneered. Oh, the sensibilities of youkai.

"Fine. Lord Sesshomaru…" she started with venom in her voice, "…it is none of your— "

He abruptly snapped his head at her. There was that intense look again. He spoke slowly, fore it was a fact that humans were stupid.

"I'll ask one more time. Why did you throw," he gestured at the belongings on the ground, "that thing into the well?" She sighed. Okay, if he waited by the well for days just to get answers she figured she might as well give in. The sooner this was over with the sooner she could go back home with her things…that laid all over the place.

 _Did he go through my stuff?_

"Can you keep a secret…Lord Sesshomaru?"

"I can."

"Okay, so this well is how I get home. I travel back and forth between my time and this time." He said nothing as gears turned in his head. "It's easier to climb down into the thing with nothing hanging from my back so I tossed my bag in first like I usually do. I had no idea you were in there. Hell, no one ever hangs around this place besides Inuyasha and a few of my friends."

"What you say makes no sense to this Sesshomaru. You travel between time?"

"Yeah, I know it doesn't make any sense but I've been doing it for years. Obviously, I'm not from this era," Kagome explained as she picked up the contents of her bag.

He didn't understand it, but what she said oddly had some logic to it. There was no hint of deceit so instinct instructed him to believe her. That would explain her other worldly clothes and unknown items at least. Still, the concept of a human being traveling from the future was difficult to wrap his mind around.

"Remember the Shikon jewel situation? That happened because of me. Back then I visited and stayed here a lot more. It was my fault the thing shattered so I had to help make things right."

 _How curious,_ he thought.

"If this is true, Miko, what is your purpose here now?"

That needed some thought. She stumbled upon the feudal era by mistake. One accident followed another and those series of events concluded with the now destroyed sacred jewel. Honestly, she didn't know what her purpose in his time was anymore. There were no fragments to collect and few demons to slay (save for the dragon her friends were making their way towards). Why did she return?

"I guess I miss my friends…"

The thought was uncomfortable. Kagome was sure her destiny had been to see to it that the jewel was removed from the world of the living.

"So, you don't know," he said, now turning to watch her stuff the remains of the items into her bag.

"Why do you care anyway? Isn't there some noble demon business you have to get back to? I mean really, searching through my things? Snatching girls in the middle of the night?"

Sesshomaru continued to stare at her. She was right, you know. This entire encounter had been uncharacteristic of him. The matters of humans were seldom his concern. But it was just something about this human that aroused his interest. Alright, so it was because she was a time traveling miko that resembled another human his brother sniffed around years ago.

"I'm bored."

Kagome stopped.

Slowly she turned to look at him with disbelief.

"So…you're telling me…you scared me half to death because you're _bored_?"

He shrugged. It was the truth. Slaying a demon or troubling weird humans, both were great ways to kill time.

"I don't think I appreciate that."

"It is done," he said in a nonchalant tone.

"You're such a jerk!"

He scowled. He had enough emotional intelligence to know she was insulting him, however, the youkai didn't know what a "jerk" was.

"What is a 'jerk?'"

"You," she quickly replied. With everything gathered, a very annoyed Kagome made her way towards the well, at least until she walked into something that felt like a brick wall. "Move," she hissed through her teeth.

Yeah, like that happened.

"You should do something about your hearing problem."

"I don't have a freaking hearing problem so get out of my way!"

"Oh? Because I believe that you do."

He pushed her and she fell flat on her ass.

"I grow tired of repeating myself to you," he said, looking down at her.

"You know, that's why I called you a jerk," the sore girl started, "It's no wonder you don't have any friends!" Sesshomaru figured out what jerk meant. He agreed with her assessment, he was a jerk. But the demon didn't like her last statement. The miko did say she returned to this place because of her friends…

 _Is having friends so compelling it makes one want to stay long after their intended purpose?_

When Kagome started to get off the ground he pushed her down once more. Dramatically she thrashed about before sitting up. This was outrageous.

"Can you _please_ just let me go home? I got what I came for and I even told you one of my deepest secrets!"

"No."

"And why not?"

"I've decided to give you a new purpose."

She practically swallowed her laughter.

"Oh, yeah, and what purpose would that be, _Lord Sesshomaru?_ "

"You will remain here and be my friend."

If she weren't in the feudal era she would have vowed she heard a referee blowing a whistle, enforcing a brain wide time out. Kagome cracked her head harder than she realized. Inuyasha's brother did not just tell her she could not go home because he needed a companion.

"No way," Kagome said with mistrust, "I don't need friends like you."

 _Friends like me?_

"Are you suggesting I am not worthy of your friendship, human?"

"Not even. What's funny is it's the other way around. You're obviously too good for my type. What's the point of being friends with someone who can't see you as their equal?"

"I have no equal, Miko," he said offhandedly.

"I wonder why," she quipped.

Kagome watched his mouth open momentarily before he quickly shut his trap. She got him. She got him damn good because he looked through her rather than at her. Then she realized he was not used to mockery.

"Look, Lord Sessho—and that's another thing. Friends don't go around calling each other lords and crap. That's weird. I'll tell you what, I'll try to be your friend if I can just call you Sesshomaru."

"That is all that is required to be friends?"

"Yes—no, no. Trust me, there's other things too. Like, um, you, y-you stand really close to people. Maybe work on not doing that?

"Anything else?"

 _Oh, wow. He's socially inept too._

" _Let's_ just say that's a good start, okay, Sesshomaru?"

She held out her hand to him but he didn't move.

"O-kay. That went over well. And speaking of wells, I need to go back to my own time now so if you'll excus— "

"I said no," he snapped, "I have little faith that you will return to me."

"Eh, hello? We are friends now. You have to trust me."

Sesshomaru gave her his full attention again. ' _You have to trust me_.' Golden eyes took in every inch of the young woman standing before him. No treachery detected in her large brown eyes. They were fairly pleasant eyes now that he took time to notice. So were her legs. As far humans went he could tolerate looking at her. That's about as far as he allowed himself to dwell on the subject. He had a nagging feeling she snubbed him a moment ago.

"I promise. I'll come back. Just...give me a chance to make sense of this."

"Very well, Miko. I trust that you will honor your word."

A smile lit up Kagome's face.

"Thank you, Sess— "

"—When you return we shall resume the arrangement, "he cut in, erasing the smile from her face. Without another word, he turned and walked away.

Like it or not Kagome kept it in the family.


	3. Chinese Holiday

**Wow, guys I really want to say thank you all the comments, favorites and especially the follows. Please, continue to escape with me.**

 **This chapter gave me some trouble but I am satisfied with how it turned out. I just love a slow burning story, how about you?**

* * *

It was as ridiculous as it sounded. Making friends with Sesshomaru would come with some challenges. Inuyasha's reaction to the new-found friendship will not be a positive one. To this day the hanyou held onto a deep dislike for his brother. Kagome was sure the pure-blooded youkai felt the same too. Her dog-eared friend had good reason to distrust him; she got pressured into befriending Sesshomaru. Oh, and he tried to kill her when they first met too. Ancient history, of course.

Something about the whole thing didn't seem natural and she had an irksome feeling that she was biting off more than she could chew. She was bullshitting with him about being friends at first. How did she end up making promises? Kagome couldn't go back on her word now, he expected her return. Not to mention her real friends lived there too and, to top it all off, nothing about the elder brother seemed sociable.

Consumed by her thoughts, the bewildered girl walked in the opposite direction.

She climbed out the well in a daze, muscle memory taking over.

On the other side no lights were on, everyone had gone to bed. Once inside she dropped her bag by the front door, kicked off her shoes and crept to her room.

Immediately she noticed the notification light blinking from her phone. She grabbed it before collapsing onto her bed. Yuka texted her.

Yuka: lunch at our favorite sushi place tomorrow? Read at 11:37 p.m.

Kagome: Yes, please. Also something crazy just happened tonight. talk about it tomorrow. I'll pick you up at 12. Sent at 11:38 p.m.

Sleep did not come easy for her. Normally it was her phone that kept her awake. The events of the last several days auto played. She desperately tried to push the "arrangement" from her mind.

Nope.

Instead she scrutinized every bit of the moment when Sesshomaru looked her up and down. Right after she told him to trust her. If Kagome didn't know any better she would suspect he was judging her appearance—perish the thought.

* * *

"Let's sit by the window, Kagome."

The next day Kagome met her friend for lunch. Yuka was the only friend from high school she still hung out with regularly. Sure, they still spoke with Eri and Ayumi but they didn't attend the same university. Naturally they grew further apart.

Funny how life sneaks up on you like that.

Kagome decided on her most favorite dish at the restaurant, cream cheese wrapped in fresh red salmon. They exchanged a light-hearted chat until their orders arrived.

"Oh, yeah you told me something crazy happened last night?"

The miko wiped her mouth.

"Crazy isn't the half of it," she began.

Even Yuka didn't know her secret about the enchanted well. Kagome groomed Inuyasha to say he was from a rural no-name town in case anyone questioned him. She had to be very careful with her words.

"I told you Inuyasha has a brother he doesn't speak to like at all, right?"

Yuka gave her a suspicious look.

"Yeah, you said something about him once or twice."

"Okay, well get this, I..." she trailed off, "…was with his brother last night—and I know what you're thinking, it's not that."

Wide eyed, Yuka inched closer to the table.

"But that's exactly what it sounds like. Ah, I see, so that's what you were doing," she teased.

"No, I swear— "

"—I guess that's why it took you hours to read my message."

"I'm serious, Yuka…it wasn't like that…but something did happen."

Yuka fidgeted in her chair with anticipation. It's been years since Kagome had any kind of guy drama. As far as Yuka and anyone else knew Inuyasha was her main squeeze.

"Don't leave me out in the cold. I swear to Kami if you don't tell me everything," Yuka threatened with a dark glare.

Obviously, Kagome needed to leave out some key details but she told most of the truth. Like how she mildly assailed her presumed boyfriend's brother and how he demanded she be his friend after assaulting her back…multiple times.

"And you agreed to be his friend?! What the hell, are you crazy?"

"I think I might be," she replied sheepishly. An uncomfortable quiet followed.

"So, how hot is the older brother?" Yuka asked, pursing her lips. Kagome nearly choked.

"W-why does that matter?"

Yuka snickered as she took a sip of her drink.

"Because only hot guys can get away with being controlling assholes."

* * *

A great distance away a familiar group searched for a place to make camp. Inuyasha knew the deal. Humans could only go so long before they needed a solid eight hours. They settled in an area close to a stream. Sango offered to prepare dinner and went to fetch water for the pot. Unsurprisingly, Miroku accompanied her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha decided to make himself useful and left to gather firewood.

He regretted not going off on this adventure alone. Seeing those two like that left a sour taste in his mouth. Deep down he was happy his friends found happiness with each other. Even deeper intense jealously burned. Things were going nowhere with Kagome. While he didn't have a lot of experience with relationships, he knew that eventually things progressed. People got closer to one another like Sango and Miroku.

Kagome became less unavailable after the incident.

A little under a few years ago Inuyasha had been overcoming the boundaries of friendship. Things were going very well that summer. He steeled his courage to grab her hand whenever they walked together. When they didn't see each other, the absence was forgiven with a sensual embrace. Suggestive looks swiftly became okay as looks gave way to touch.

He remembered every detail of that night. They were alone in Kagome's living room laying together on the couch, her head on his chest. Unable to focus on the movie, the hanyou engrossed himself with controlling his breathing. The more he looked down at her curves the further his claws dug into the cushion. Then her leg crept up his thigh. His breath hitched as a rush of desire pumped through his veins. Looking up at the ceiling, he recited a silent prayer. Begging for her to finally be ready and not mind his growing erection.

"Your heart sounds like it's thumping out of your chest."

He hesitated.

"Yeah," he replied hoarsely, self-control slipping away.

An unsteady hand placed itself on her hip, his bold touch making her tense. Gently he embraced the softness of her body, repositioning his hand after each squeeze. Gradually he fondled her higher and higher, stopping just before reaching her breast. She abruptly stared at him, realizing the severity of his lust for the first time. His ears splayed downwards, buried into his wild hair as he parted his lips. Finally, he brought his face to hers. She didn't pull away. That was the moment he had been waiting years for. He forcedly pressed his lips onto Kagome's, using more pressure with each breath. It was painful and not sensual at all. Trying pull away from his grasp resulted in Inuyasha's thumb claw digging further into her cheek. She started to pound his chest while lightly moaning with discomfort.

Then searing pain spread throughout her face and she began to panic. Reaching for his hair, Kagome wrapped it around her fingers and tried to yank him away. She struggled against him until he finally freed her.

"Inuyasha! You're hurting me!"

"I'm sorry, Kagome. I just want you so— "

Lust quickly drained from his features as he took note of the blood. In his careless wanting his fangs had cut her mouth. Kagome touched herself and realized she was bleeding. Looking at her hand with shock, she scrambled off him and ran upstairs to the bathroom.

Inuyasha had profusely apologized, promising that it would never happen again, but alas his tries at getting close to her again ended with her awkwardly pulling away. So, he backed off. Hoping that one day she would be ready again. But the two haven't been that close to each other since, let alone kiss. With enough firewood rounded up, the regretful hanyou walked back to camp. Cursed by the memory of one of his greatest failures.

Miroku started the fire while he was away and Sango was already preparing vegetables for the rice. Inuyasha moved silently through the settlement, stacking the firewood next the fire. The monk wanted to say something to his forlorn friend but he held his tongue. He knew he would only cause him more irritation. The only person who could pull Inuyasha from his misery was Kagome.

* * *

Sesshomaru's oppressive youki could be felt for miles. This was his forest, and if anyone disagreed they would have to answer to him. To save himself from the aggravation of dealing with prying humans, the Daiyoukai made sure he wasn't easy to spot from the path that lead to the village. He'd been doing the same thing he did the night she left, sitting quietly alongside the trunk of a large tree. Curious to discover what else friendship involved besides not standing too close and not referring to each other with honored titles.

The unbothered heir tucked his hands behind his fluffy pelt and closed his eyes. Even full demons needed to sleep. He stayed undisturbed for most of the day until late in the afternoon. A weak demon with a familiar scent gradually approached. His eyes slowly opened.

"What," he said flatly.

"Lord Sesshomaru! I never thought I'd run into you here."

The flea landed on his knee and bowed.

"Likewise, Myoga," Sesshomaru said dryly, looking down at the tiny demon.

"My apologies for disturbing you. I am merely traveling through to meet with Inuyasha and his group."

 _Hn?_

"What business do you have with the half-breed?"

"Not much. It's his tasty young companion. Lady Kagome spends more time around this village during this time of the year. Delectable blood such as hers doesn't come around very often."

Sesshomaru closed his eyes.

"My Lord, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?"

"I have an arrangement."

"With who, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"It is of no concern to you. Now leave before I kill you."

* * *

After dropping Yuka off she drove back home. Kagome had promised her mother she would have her car back by midafternoon. With Christmas a few days away Mrs. Higurashi wanted to do some last minute shopping. When she arrived home Sota and her mom were ready to leave.

"I'm sorry I had to cut your outing short, dear, I still need to pick up a few more gifts."

Kagome handed her the keys.

"It's no biggie, mom. Yuka and I just wanted something to eat, but uh, don't you think we have enough as it is?" She asked, tilting her head at the mountainous pile of wrapped gifts that laid under a modestly decorated tree. Sota's eyes grew wide.

"Shut up, Kagome! She could still buy stuff for us!"

When she glared at her brother, the older woman smiled, shaking her head before turning to leave. Sota followed.

Pulling out her phone, Kagome checked to see if she had any new messages. After she replied to a few, she then went up to her room and closed the door. Powering up her laptop, she logged into Netflix and sat on her bed.

It was a lazy December 23rd. Most of her friends were busy with holiday shopping, spending time with their families and demon hunting. Not to say she was distraught over being alone that afternoon. In fact, it was welcomed. College life was a constant stream of socializing and schedule keeping. The continuously busy could appreciate downtime. Which is why the thought of Sesshomaru pissed her off. This was HER vacation, and now she had to burn up precious time to be friendly with his conceited self.

But what to do? What the hell could they possibly talk about?

"Hey, Sesshomaru, cross any personal boundaries while I was gone?" She mumbled to herself, her bobbing head emphasizing the contempt she felt.

Damn him.

Kagome thought of ways she could uphold the agreement while still enjoying most of her vacation. She toyed with the idea of seeing him only in the evenings (close by the portal) to prevent herself from wasting more time than what was necessary. There were still ways she could pussyfoot around the 'friendship.' One thing's for sure, it was going to be a long month before the new semester started in late January.

It wasn't fair. She wanted to gossip with Sango, joke around with Miroku, cuddle Shippo and be with Inuyasha. Hell, she'd rather spend her days boiling vegetables with Kaede than doing anything with that kami-awful Daiyoukai. In a cruel twist, everyone was unavailable to her, and she couldn't shake the feeling that it was karma making its rounds.

Sesshomaru would have to wait another day because Kagome refused to see him tonight. Although, the thought of making him wait for her did give some consolation. He probably was used to every one jumping out of their skin to serve him hand and foot. Boy was the lord in for a rude awakening.

* * *

At last, Christmas eve.

The Higurashi residence was filled with calorific smells. Kagome's mother was cooking up a storm in the kitchen, fighting off anyone who tried to steal a taste. The miko was on a mission, determined to get a taste of that roasted bird if it was the last thing she did.

"Holy crap, mom what's that?" Kagome yelled.

"Ah! What?!" Her mothered jumped back, distracted.

Then her daughter moved in for the kill. She snatched a piece of delightfully roasted duck and popped it in her mouth, burning herself in the process.

"Oh, Kami it's like lava!"

Her mom smacked her with a dishrag, shooing her away from the fowl.

"Momma, I'm dying," she exaggerated.

"That's nice, honey."

Kagome theatrically dragged herself to the sink for a glass of water as her mother laughed at her silliness.

"Need any help?"

"Not at this moment, honey. I'm just preparing what can't be put off until tomorrow. Why don't you go do something with your friends? You're usually with them when you have the time."

Kagome's jovial expression disappeared.

"Everyone is…busy," she replied with a distant voice. Mrs. Higurashi put Christmas dinner back into the oven and turned to her.

"Even your Inuyasha?"

Kagome flinched. Damn, mom. "Yeah, and he took my other friends with him."

"Surely there is someone you could spend your time with."

"There is someone but— "

"—Good. Go see that someone. It's Christmas. They may be lonely too."

She felt personally attacked.

"Hey—wait a minute, he doesn't even know what Christmas is."

"Then maybe you need to tell him what it is," her mother said matter-of-factly, resuming the preparations.

"The thing is…I-he isn't someone I want to be friends with ."

"Kagome, I've raised you better than that. You know better than to shun others, especially around the holidays."

The hilarity of it all. She had half a mind to shake her as she watched her pull a box of sweets from the cupboard, handing it to her.

"Give that to your new friend. A small act of kindness can go a long way."

Feeling betrayed by her own mother, the teen stomped out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her room. The fact that she was practically nineteen meant nothing. When her mother told her to do something she did it out of respect. Tossing the candy on the floor, she sat on her bed and pouted.

 _It friggin' figures,_ she thought bitterly.

As if Sesshomaru was lonely. She was sure he spent so much time alone because he enjoyed it. Either that or he didn't believe anyone was worthy of his attention. She wished she had kept her big mouth shut. Her mother would be none the wiser about her "lonely" friend. With a sigh, she stood up and walked to her closet, snatching her jacket from a hanger.

"Let's just get it over with," she spat to herself.

Grabbing the candy, she ran down the stairs and slipped into a pair of sneakers. Then she froze and looked at the box in her hand. It felt like a stupid idea. Her mother wanted her to extend an olive branch to something that would melt the opposite end.

More aggravation.

"I'm going out," Kagome announced unenthusiastically.

"Hold it right there, young lady!"

Hand on the door, she stopped and threw her mom a baffled look.

"O-kay?"

"Don't you think you should at least wrap his gift?"

* * *

He rose to his feet the instant he felt her. With poise, he brushed foliage from his clothing and steadily walked towards the well. His demon eyes squinted with smugness. He was right to trust her.

Sesshomaru saw her before she noticed him. The miko was sitting on the entrance absentmindedly pushing dirt into a pile with her feet. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail with unruly strands tucked behind her ears. Approaching from behind, the youkai suppressed his urge to frighten the girl with an ambush-style greeting. Instead he cleared his throat and she swiftly turned around, irritation dominating her features.

Not so much as a hello.

Minding her advice about personal space, Sesshomaru stood about ten feet away and stared, waiting for her to say something. Kagome could already feel her twinge of anger burning hotter. She wondered what the hell he was waiting for. This behavior is arguably worse than his habit of unexpectedly appearing before her face.

"Well, I came back, just like I promised," she said through a strained smile. Sesshomaru lazily blinked and subtly tilted his head. "But I don't plan to stay very long."

Nothing.

"Are you really not going to say anything?"

"You will have to excuse me for not jumping with joy," he quipped with a hint of amusement. Although, his face gave no sign. Kagome shook her head as she looked up at the sky. Kami give her strength.

"Just to let you know, I didn't plan to come here today."

He raised an eyebrow.

"And yet you are here," he replied, graciously running his claws through his hair.

"It's only because my mother made me come and give you a Christmas present."

He blinked at her as she picked up an item wrapped in gold. Sometimes the miko spoke of things he didn't understand. Sesshomaru would have to put an end to that.

"You say unusual things. What is a 'Christmas?'"

"Uh, all I know is that around this time of the year, people in my time give gifts to each other," the girl briefly explained as she gingerly walked towards him. "So here, Merry Christmas," she said sarcastically, extending the package to him.

The western lord glared at it.

"For what purpose?"

" _I don't know_. Some nations do it for religious reasons, others just like the gift giving to family and friends part. It's too much to get into right now. Just take the dang thing!"

"Other nations? So, this is a Chinese holiday?"

"I don't…think so?"

"Where is it from?"

"Let's just say a lot of people celebrate it, and here, just take it."

Finally, his clawed hand took the package. She did not expect him to be grateful or anything, but Kagome definitely didn't count on the look of concentrated confusion in his eyes.

"And if not of Japan then where?"

"Yeah…the history of the world is an incredibly long story. Like I said, I didn't plan on coming here today and I darn sure didn't plan on doing anything else than giving you that gift," she ranted as Sesshomaru stuffed the box into his exquisite clothing.

He glinted at the worn path to the local village.

"Tell me, Kagome," he started as she looked up at him, realizing that was the first time he said her name, "How were you able to travel great distances with the half-breed with such brief visits?"

 _There's that funny feeling again._

"Back then I stayed for several days, uh, sometimes longer because— "

"—Because you had a purpose," he interrupted. Amber met brown as their eyes locked. The youkai narrowed his to slits, emphasizing his words. "Do not forget, I gave you a new purpose."

"Can I give it back?"

She felt an inaudible growl and instinctively took a step backwards. Without warning he seized her arm and pulled her back in place. She felt his pointed tips through her jacket and grimaced with uneasiness.

 _And again._

"I expect a similar investment of your time," he said, top canines peaking from under his lip.

 _Whoa, his fangs are bigger than Inuyasha's._

"I guess you need to lower your expectations, because I don't have that kind of time anymore," Kagome said as she struggled to yank her arm away. "And even if I did, I don't want to camp outside in this cold weather just to teach you how to play nice." Sesshomaru clinched his jaw. "And why is it that whenever we see each other you're assaulting me?"

"Never mind that. What other obligations do you have?"

 _He's a habitual line crosser. There's just no way someone can be this…_

"Let go of my arm and maybe I'll consider not calling the entire thing off."

His face went neutral, and then he released her.

"Answer my question."

"School," she answered rubbing her arm, "I spend most of my time studying, but sometimes I get extended breaks from class. And I've only got a month away from class until it starts again so agreement or not, there's only so much time I can spend with you."

"You are educated?" He asked with an inquisitive glance, disregarding everything else Kagome had said.

She scoffed.

"Of course."

 _An educated human girl, how strange._

"Does that mean you can explain the book with the odd letters to me?"

"A book with odd letters—oh, you're talking about my text book. It's written in something called English."

"And you can decipher Engl-ish?"

Kagome proved that she could by speaking the language in question, he replied by giving her a curious expression. It was most definitely not Japanese or Chinese; it sounded much more foreign.

"Do you speak that tongue fluently?"

"You could say that."

"Teach it to me," he demanded as her mouth flew open.

"Sesshomaru, it's—English isn't something I can teach you in a month. It's kind of a complicated language."

She was sure he rolled his eyes at her.

"You underestimate me, miko."

"I wouldn't even know where to begin," she complained.

"Begin with the basics," he smugly suggested.

"I-I don't know. Teaching you the language of people you aren't supposed to know exist doesn't seem like a good idea. It could change the past or something."

 _There are other groups of humans?_

"I will tell no one. I simply want to know what I do not," he assured her.

"Well, I guess it would be okay, but you'll have to promise me something."

"Promise?"

"Yes, promise me that you will try to be nicer to me and keep your claws to yourself. I know you want me to teach you English but before that happens you have to give me your word."

"Very well. You have my word. I will not touch you," he said with a predatory smirk.

Demons.

"Okay, well, I'm going back home now," she blurted out as an unexplainable warmth spread across her face. "The sun is going down and it's getting colder," she finished with a shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature. Sesshomaru said nothing as he stared at her with an increasingly softening expression.

"How long until you return to me?"

She really wished he had worded that differently. Abruptly her posture improved.

"A few days," Kagome uttered in tiny voice before turning around and walking towards the enchanted well. Sesshomaru was mystified by her sudden change in behavior but he couldn't stop her. It was in his best interest to seriously keep his hands off. Because if he wanted additional information out of the miko he would have to obey her wishes. He figured at least not snatching her up would be a decent start, because the concept of niceness was as bizarre as the tongue Kagome spoke earlier.


	4. Tongue Twister

**I simply cannot believe the amount of follows and favorites this fantasy of mine has gotten so far. Thank you all very much. I love the comments, please keep them coming.**

 **I had a lot of fun with this chapter. It took me a little longer than I expected but I finally got it flowing in the way I wanted it to. I hope you enjoy it :)**

 **ooOoOoo**

The would be English teacher wore the same flustered face she had in the era of demons—all the way to her house. She slid the front door open with such force it rattled on its track. Snapping back to reality, she frantically placed her hands on the glass until it stopped vibrating. After spending a few moments checking for cracks, a relieved Kagome whirled around and almost shouted. There in the small hallway that lead to the living room stood her mother with an eyebrow raised at her daughter.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes," she croaked before clearing her throat.

"Uh huh," the older women said, looking the nerve-racked teen up and down. Mrs. Higurashi knew something was going on. The fact that she didn't know what was of no consequence. Between Kagome's hesitance to visit the time of Inuyasha, lying about her period, her partially melted bag AND returning home with a crimson face she knew it was only a matter of time before the truth would reveal itself. A smile flashed across her face.

"Come. I made some hot chocolate. It'll warm you up," her mother said and turned around.

As if she needed added warmth in her condition.

To avoid suspicion, she peeled off her jacket and shoes, following her to the kitchen. Taking a seat at the table she took in the environment. A small banquet of baked goods, candies and assorted nuts laid wherever there was space. Way more than what four people could eat on Christmas day.

"Don't you think you overdid it just a bit this year, mom?"

"Actually, I hope I have enough. Some other family members will be attending Christmas dinner this year," she informed. Kagome nodded with acknowledgment as she watched her mother scoop marshmallows in two mugs of hot cocoa.

"Speaking of Christmas," she started to say, handing her daughter the warm drink, "Did you give that friend of yours the gift?"

"I did," Kagome said while staring into her cup.

"And?"

She sighed and set the mug down.

"Well, he asked me if Christmas was a Chinese thing," she said with a self-satisfied I-told-you-so look.

"Oh. Uh, I see. Did you at least try to explain the meaning of it to him?" Her mom asked, ignoring her smugness. The head of the household had an unwavering grip on positivity.

"Tch, yeah. But he was way more interested in me teaching him how to speak English. So annoying."

"Oh, honey that sounds great. After all, it is one of your strongest subjects."

Kagome shot daggers at her.

" _Please_. I do alright in school but—"

"—You do better than alright, Kagome," her mother jumped in before taking a sip of the hot chocolate.

"Okay, okay, so I do pretty well. That still doesn't mean I have what it takes to go around teaching de—people, teaching people how to read and write English," she finished, hand massaging her temple.

"That may be so, but if you ask me, I think this friend of yours just wants to understand you."

"Pffft. The only thing he wants to understand is how to further tick me off," Kagome said dismissively. Her mother chuckled as she pulled herself away from the table. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all, honey. Now come, help me wrap the last of the presents."

* * *

A silent Sesshomaru stalked through the forest, making his way to the clearing on the other side. There was a secluded hot spring a generous distance away from the neighboring village, and at this hour he was confident he would be the only one there. A chilled breeze stirred his flowing tresses as he left the wooded area behind him.

The hot spring sat between several large boulders, concealing any occupants from the path needed to happen upon it. The balmy water looked welcoming; it had been days since he last bathed. Not to say he smelled unpleasant (at least to human noses), but every creature has a threshold they are unwilling to cross in regard to personal hygiene. First to go was his luxurious pelt. Youki flowed through his body, triggering the winding white fur to slither across his shoulders and onto a bush, going limp when no longer in contact with his person.

Sesshomaru was not as particular with his spiked armor. In a most unbecoming manner he reached up and untied the silken red ropes. Both his shoulder and chest plate armor landed with a clank. Marked pale hands loosened the sash around his waist. That's when he felt it move—the Christmas present. He pulled the sash and laid it next to his mokomoko. The Daiyoukai hadn't thought about it much. Christmas didn't sound all that special because a demon such as himself was no stranger to gifts.

Although...

He swiftly removed it from his clothing, turning it this and that way. _Is this food?_ He wondered as he warily shook the package next to his face. A thumb claw slashed a neat strip of wrapping away, revealing vibrant shades of green and red underneath. Thoroughly interested, the Inuyoukai placed the box between his fangs and removed the rest of his clothing, leaving them in a pile next his other items. In all his naked glory, he walked over towards the spring, set Kagome's gift on the edge and steadily submerged himself. Breaking the surface, he smoothed hair out of his face, picked up the gift and tore the rest of the wrapping off.

"Cho-co-la-tes," he whispered to himself. _Hnn?_ It smelled edible but what was it? Sesshomaru opened the package and grabbed a piece, more or less annoyed that there was yet another wrapping, a thin layer of red foil. Finally holding the brown treat between two claws-tips, he cautiously brought the candy to his mouth, giving it a last sniff before licking it. His eyebrows jerked up in surprise. It was actually delicious.

* * *

"That big one in the back is yours too, Sota," Kagome said with false enthusiasm.

It was Christmas morning and the Higurashi family were almost finished opening presents. Sota reached for the last box. Their mother really outdid herself this year. Grampa got a bunch of new clothes and medicinal soaps, Sota was tearing into an expensive new gaming tower, (one of the many things the 12-year-old got that morning) Kagome received a new phone and most importantly, money. _I am going to buy so much food and makeup and—_

Then her mother pulled the ol' hide a secret gift behind the couch gag. It wasn't wrapped, just in a large paper gift bag. Totally surprised, Kagome took the bag and pulled out what was inside. It was a new royal blue colored backpack. She pursed her lips.

"I figured you could use a new bag after I saw the state of your old one," her mom said with sliver of enjoyment.

"Oh, right, right. Thanks, mom," Kagome replied with a fake smile, at least until Sota cracked it.

"What happened to that thing anyway? Did something try to melt you, Ka— "

"Dang, Sota. Don't worry about my personal business, go play with your new PC or something."

"Not today you two. Sota mind your business, and Kagome," an icy glare pinned her to sofa, "mind that attitude. It's Christmas."

Naturally, the siblings cut the crap.

"What's that? People are fighting? Huuue. Now it really feels like Christmas," the old man cackled.

Later that afternoon other members of the Higurashi family arrived for dinner. Now a party of seven, they all enjoyed the meal Mrs. Higurashi prepared mostly from scratch. Kagome ate until it hurt. By time she was finished, she not only sampled every sweet available, she had unbuttoned her jeans to breathe. _Nope. Don't care. You only get so many excuses to stuff your face in a year,_ she thought.

The rest of the evening was boring to say the least. Although Kagome had been as polite as she could be to cousins nearly twice her age, she was much more interested in setting up her new phone. So, while grandpa, her mother and the extended family members talked about mundane crap, she engrossed herself in the process of restoring everything from a backup. Once completed she then messaged Yuka, Eri and Ayumi, checking to see how their vacations were going. Yuka was stuck in a comparable situation and Eri somehow managed to get to Kyoto for a wild party. Ayumi didn't reply. Before Eri understandably ghosted from the group chat, she informed Kagome and Yuka that she was spending Christmas with her new boyfriend.

Yuka: I know what Ayumi's getting for xmas

Yuka: xmas sausage Read at 6:45 p.m.

Kagome stifled a laugh. All heads suddenly turned to her.

"Kagome!" Her mother scalded, "There's nothing funny about your grandfather's rash problem."

 _Why are you guys even taking about rashes? What the hell?_

Momentarily waving her hands in the air, she assured everyone she was laughing at a message. They resumed the conversation about Gramp's rash.

Kagome: Haha. I laughed in real life and my family thinks I was laughing at my grandpa's rash. No, but seriously, kill me. Sent at 6:46 p.m.

Yuka: no fair, I was going to ask you to kill me first. My dad just fucked his back up trying to show my cousin a wrestling hold. Read at 6:47 p.m.

Their banter went back and forth for a little while. Eventually, the messages stopped and Kagome decided she had gave her sleep-inducing family enough of her time. Bowing low, she excused herself and made a break for her bedroom.

Once in the sanctuary of her own space, she locked the door and pulled her shirt over her head. _Time to get comfortable,_ she thought to herself as she changed into a pajama short and t-shirt set. She used her favorite wide paddle-brush (the one with the thick handle) to rid of her hair of tangles before securing it into a bun. Truly relaxed, she jumped on her bed and opened her laptop. She immersed herself in a series she had been meaning to catch up on, binge watching for hours on end. Before she realized it was close to 10 p.m. Although, one could say she was merely distracting herself.

Tomorrow was the day she had to return to the feudal era to tutor Sesshomaru. The more she thought about it the weirder it seemed. _It doesn't make any freaking sense! Why would he want to learn…literally no one else would be able to speak English in his time besides myself…damn!_ She contemplated how she would go about the daunting task. Without question she would need a notebook and some pens, no, pencils, but that wouldn't be enough. With no workbooks, activity sheets or even a lesson plan she would be forced to wing it. Okay, so maybe printing out English homework for Sesshomaru would be overdoing it, still, Kagome needed a guide of some sort. Sliding off the bed, she went over to her desk and began picking through her books.

None of what she had would do. All of her English books were too advanced, and not suitable for introducing a novice to the language. Suddenly, she had an idea.

 _Sota._

She walked out her room and down the hallway, stopping at her brother's door. Kagome could hear him talking to his friends via his headset while playing a game. She knocked.

"Hold on a sec, yeah?"

"I need to ask you something. It won't take long."

"Come in. Give me a minute, guys. I gotta do something real quick," he said to his complaining friends. "Okay so what is it?"

"This is kind of random, but do you still have any of your English workbooks from like the 5th grade?"

* * *

It's a good thing her mom replaced her backpack. While it was smaller, it was also ergonomic and fit on her back more comfortably. She had been packing needed supplies that morning and planned to leave just before noon. Of her haul, she had a few books to keep her occupied while Sesshomaru traced letters, blank sheets of paper and pencils, Sota's old school books, a snack with something to drink and a few other items. Because she only intended to stay while there was still sunlight, she wore a long sleeve shirt with skinny jeans and a pair of warm boots. Stuffing a pair of thin gloves into the pocket of her jacket, she told her mom she was leaving and walked out the door. Crossing the yard, she entered the shrine and mechanically climbed over.

Now on the other side, she scaled the walls until she managed to throw an arm over the ledge, pulling herself from the well. About 15 feet from the portal stood Sesshomaru and of course he issued no greeting while he stared at her. "Sesshomaru," she said forcing down the lump in her throat. She had a feeling he was waiting for her to speak first.

"Miko," said the demon with the deadpan voice. Oh well, at least he wasn't hovering before her face this time. For a brief period, nothing else was said as they locked eyes. The heavy silence started to stir feelings of anxiety in Kagome. She just wanted to get on with it.

"The sun sets in another 5 or 6 hours so let's take advantage of the daylight," she said as she began walking over towards him, tossing her new backpack on the ground.

"I don't require the light of the sun to see," he said looking elsewhere.

"Good for you. I on the other hand can't see at night. And if I can't see I can't teach you English, understand?"

Without delay his eyes pierced her. "Do not patronize me, woman," he said neatly lowering himself to the ground. Kagome took a deep breath and collapsed into a crossed-legged sitting position. He watched intently as she pulled paper and a skinny orange stick from her sack, taking note of the girl's apprehensive posture. Her dainty hands trembled with nervousness as she reached out to hand him the stick.

"What is that?"

"It's called a pencil. You write with it," she explained, "Here, let me show you." Kagome grabbed a blank sheet of paper and wrote his first name in Japanese. "See, much easier than dipping a feather in ink over and over again." Sesshomaru said nothing, although he did agree with her, the pencil did seem more convenient to use for writing. "And this pink part at the top," she continued to explain as she handed it to him, "Is for erasing mistakes." _Holy crap I need to get a grip. I'm blabbering on about a freaking pencil!_

He stared at his name written in the foreign language.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You may."

"Do you have a last name?"

"That is none of your business. Let us begin."

 _Asshole._ "O-kay. Anyway, let's start with the English alphabet," Kagome said as she took a piece of paper from a folder and handed it to him. "This guide has both alphabets. Look here, it translates the English characters and tells you how to pronounce the letters." Sesshomaru said nothing as he scanned every inch of the paper. He stayed like that for a few minutes, his brow wrinkling periodically.

Kagome's determination to stay on task slowly began to slip away from her. While the youkai engrossed himself in the paper, her brown eyes idly traced the outline of his jaw, momentarily steering off course to ogle the magenta stipes on his cheek bones. _He's got stripes like that on his wrists too. I wonder if he has any other markings on his-_

"Miko, explain these two letters to me," he instructed, dragging her back down from the atmosphere. "I am unable to recite the sound in my head," he said pointing at letters L and R.

"Ah, those two characters make sounds not found in our language. They are tricky, but this one here," she pointed at the letter R, "Is pronounced 'ar.'" His head angled to a slant as he studied her mouth. "Repeat after me, ar…ar."

He cleared his throat before his attempt, "Ah-her," was the sound he emitted.

 _We sound like a pair of flaming pirates,_ she thought. "Not bad but pay close attention to my mouth," she said as she tilted her chin upwards, avoiding eye contact. "You should raise the tip of your tongue towards the roof of your mouth but don't touch it," she explained turning her head slightly left and right. "Then you curl the edge of your tongue and subtly touch the back of your teeth before you make the sound. Got it?"

"Hmph," was the only thing he said as Kagome glanced at him.

"Try again," she coached.

The tips of his canines glinted as he spoke, "Ar."

"Impressive. It took me a lot longer than a few minutes to learn how to pronounce the letter R," she admitted out loud. As expected, he uttered nothing. Instead he narrowed his bright orbs at the human girl.

"And the other?"

"Ah. As for the letter L, you say it like 'el.''' Once again she showed him how to pronounce it. "Take the tip of your tongue and touch…" Kagome trailed off as he stared at her mouth with great intensity. "…Uh, you touch it, I mean…you take your tongue and touch— "She tore her eyes from him. _Kami, I can't find the words when he's looking at me like that._

"Miko, what should I do with my tongue?" He asked oblivious to the suggestion in his choice of words. She damn near fell over.

The words flew from her mouth. "You-touch-the-roof-of-your-mouth-and-let-out-the-sound-as-you-say-it." Rattled, she reached into her bag and yanked out a can of soda.

 _She's acting strange again._ "Show me," he said flatly. Kagome came close to choking.

"R-right," she stammered, hesitantly tilting her chin up at Sesshomaru. "You raise the tip of your tongue to uh, the back of your teeth like this," _Oh, my Kami,_ "And then you release air as you voice it." _It's that feeling again._ "So it's like this, 'el.'"

"Hn, el," he correctly imitated, returning his attention the paper. Thank goodness, too. Kagome turned her head to fix her face. She told herself that all she needed to do was get a grip on her nerves. Easier said than done. For whatever reason, when she spent enough time interacting with the youkai she couldn't help her antsiness. Which was odd because she was sure he wouldn't hurt her, well, at least kill her anymore. And that feeling. It was difficult to put into words but she thought it felt like the lower half of her body pulsated with an unfamiliar throbbing. She took another drink as she looked off towards Kaede's village.

"I want to know where this language originated," he said breaking the silence.

"It came from the United Kingdom. Sometimes called England or Great Britain," she answered knowingly.

"Who rules the…United Kingdom?"

Kagome couldn't help but laugh at his ignorance. "Uh, the British rules there," she said through a giggle.

"I fail to see what's so funny."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's common knowledge in my time and it's just so silly to hear someone ask that."

"Are they descendants of the Japanese or Chinese?"

"Neither," she answered quickly while starting to stare suspiciously, "Sesshomaru, you have to be centuries old at least. Don't you know that there are many cultures of people?"

"I only know of three, assuming what you say about the United Kingdom is true."

"It is true. Wow. I just don't know where to begin," the stunned miko said while supporting her head with her hand. "There's just so many of us in my time."

"How many?"

"Over seven billion now."

 _Seven billion humans?_ "How can the land sustain such a population?" He wondered out loud.

"Because the world is a lot bigger than anyone five hundred years in the past could ever imagine," she began as she looked at Sesshomaru, "And thanks to our cleverness we control practically every corner of the earth." His brow furrowed at her last statement.

"You have much to say about the humans of your time and little of youkai. Why is that?"

She shrugged, "That's because demons don't really exist in my time. And you know I've thought about that…"

He checked out of the conversation. Lost in his own thoughts, he considered what Kagome told him. It had to have been true because she said it with conviction. Did seven billion humans come to rule the earth because youkai disappeared? Sesshomaru could easily live another five hundred years and not age much. Did he exist her era? If he were honest with himself he'd allow that unsettling feeling to sink in deeper.

"…because my grampa always goes on and on about demons and— "

"Miko," he interrupted, "Quit your rambling. I want to continue."

For a moment her mouth hung open. She closed it and looked at the ground. _Geez, no need to be so rude._

Kagome did underestimate Sesshomaru. To her surprise, in a mere few hours he already had the English alphabet memorized and could recite each letter fairly well. She didn't say anything to him as he skimmed through Sota's workbook. Needing something to do, she busied herself with a book of her own. That continued for another several hours until the sun began to set. It was starting to get really cold.

Time to go.

 _Okay. Time to slip out of here._

She bookmarked her page and got up to stretch, rubbing her hands together after slipping on her gloves. "It's getting cold. Not that it matters to you much. I bet the cold doesn't bother you at all, huh?"

"If you already know the answer to a question why ask it?"

So much for friendly banter.

"You know, you're really hard to talk to," Kagome said with a huff. Yeah, and he didn't say anything either.

And with nothing said she started to stuff things back into her bag. Sesshomaru watched her pack everything away with little attention—at first. Because when she slung it over her shoulders and made her way towards the well he suddenly grew very interested.

"What are you doing?" He demanded.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going home," she said without looking back.

His baritone voice stopped her in her tracks. "You are mistaken, girl," he said rising to his feet. Kagome readied a strong choice of words, but before she could whirl around to face him she felt it. A youki aura so powerful it dispirited her very being with an inescapable feeling of dread. That was the true difference between Inuyasha and his brother. Sesshomaru had been suppressing that power all this time. It was hard to fathom that he did it so effortlessly. When the concept sunk in she momentarily held her breath.

And just like that the heaviness in the air was gone. She turned around to see Sesshomaru walking to her, the red in his eyes fading away.

"Such a forgetful girl," he said void of emotion.

"What did I forget?" She asked as calmly as possible. Truth be told she was still a little freaked about the whole oppressive youki thing. He glanced at her out the corner of his eyes as he brushed past her, positioning himself between the well and her. _Fuck. He's not going to let me go home. It's starting to get dark._

"I clearly said I expect a similar investment of your time."

"I am _investing_ my time in you. I showed up when I said I would didn't I? Isn't that good enough?"

"That is not acceptable," he said with disdain "You will accompany me until the night of the new moon."

"Hold on, I don't wan— "

"Just like you have done with the hanyou."

"But Sesshomaru…it's so cold out here," she whined. "And I don't have any camping supplies with me."

"I don't care about your excuses," he said firmly.

"But I'm not…" She started to say but instead let the words abandon her. In disbelief, she stood there poking her bottom lip with her index knuckle for moment. Then she had an idea. "Okay, look, just let me go home for a moment and grab some stuff for the next few days. It won't take long, I promise."

That's when he glared at her.

"If you choose to dishonor a promise I will be forced to do the same."

Kagome stomped her foot and pointed at the demon blocking her way. "I'm not choosing to _dishonor_ anything."

"You are planning to, " he started with a barely noticeable smirk, "You will not return tonight. That is why I am tempted to go back on my word about not touching you."

Her eyes widened.

"You can't do that. We had an agreement," she all but growled through a clenched jaw as Sesshomaru stepped to her face. Kagome then felt the deepness of his voice.

"You humans aren't as clever as you think you are, " he said looking down at her, his expression serious all of a sudden. "Get away from the well," the Daiyoukai ordered.

"Fine!" she yelled in his face before stomping away from him. He watched her with secret amusement as she cursed under her breath, walking towards Inuyasha's forest. Kagome stopped before she reached the pitch-blackness. "I'm not going to make it through the night without a fire. We should get away from here so no one can see the campfire or Kami forbid you and I."


	5. What's That Smell?

**Once again thank you for the follows, favs and comments.**

 **This chapter is the shortest so far but it kicks off a key plot point.**

* * *

"I can't see you."

Kagome slowed her pace. Unable to see her own hand in the darkness, she thought it was the best way to avoid smacking herself into a tree. The demon kept a steady stride, seemingly unaware of the growing distance between them, or worse, he knew but didn't care. As she walked further into the forest, it took her a full minute to realize that she could no longer see him.

"Sesshomaru?" Alarmed, she stopped and listened, hoping to hear his reply or the sound of his footsteps. _I need to tie a bell or something on this guy._

The cunning youkai heard her, but having just circled around the oblivious girl he didn't want Kagome to know he was now following her. Stealthily, he inched to his prey, pausing when her head swung around to gaze in his direction, and lurking only when her dilated pupils looked elsewhere. Closer he crept, until he stood no more than a few feet from the now quaking girl.

A small voice quivered, "Ses-shomaru?"

Kagome jolted herself around and innocently stared into the face of an apex predator. His breathing shallowed as pointed tips twitched in unison with his temporial muscles, instinctively urging him to dispatch his target. And because she sensed nothing she started to feel around in her bag for a lighter.

Harming the girl was not his true intention, so instead he took advantage of the cloud cover by inspecting her more carefully, starting from her feet and then upwards, lingering at her lean thighs. He wondered if the clothing underneath her jacket were just as form fitting as he took in her profile.

The youkai's mind was made. _This mortal is attractive._

Sesshomaru thought maybe that was the reason why the hanyou kept her by his side for all these years, or maybe it was because she is vulnerable despite her miko powers. He was not convinced it was for the knowledge the girl possessed-Inuyasha remained as ignorant as he always had been.

When the miko turned her head Sesshomaru leaned towards her ear and pierced the silence.

"Be still," He smoothed over her screaming.

In the direction of his voice she cried, "Holy crap, Sesshomaru?! "Please…don't ever do that again," Kagome begged with a hand on her chest.

"I will consider your request," the demon lightly taunted.

"Let's just make camp here," she said blindly fumbling with her bag.

"You must continue to follow me."

"I can't see you, heck, I can't even _hear_ you, so how am I supposed to follow you?"

"Extend your hand," his disembodied voice ordered, "I will lead you to a more suitable location."

Reaching into the darkness, a slender hand found something warm and exquisitely soft to the touch. She grabbed his pelt, felt a tug and tentatively walked behind him, fidgeting with the fur between her fingers. It surprised her as much as it reassured the girl in the cold, inky blackness, and with no other choice she put faith into the demon she could not lay eyes on.

The pair sauntered on, saying nothing until Sesshomaru came to a sudden stop, causing Kagome to bump into his back. "Build your fire here," he instructed.

"Hold on a sec," she said while feeling inside her bag and then pulling out a lighter. With a flick, the tiny flame enabled her to finally see the youkai – as well as his inquisitive, glowing orbs. As he studied the object in her hand, the miko crouched and waved the light along the ground, halfheartedly searching for firewood. _Dang, I'm going to need him to help me with that too._ "Can you help me gather branches for the fire?" She inquired with a shiver.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Inuyasha did it for me all the time," she mumbled under her breath and then speaking up, "It'll be easy for someone like you. Can't you use your whip thingy to slice up some firewood for me?"

"Hmph."

"Please, Sesshomaru. I'm so cold and this darkness is creeping me out."

"Miko, I am far more threatening than any creature stupid enough to cross you." He spoke with unwavering conviction, and now that she took a moment to think about it, Kagome realized that she hadn't seen hide nor hair of any animal or demon all day. Nevertheless she was still freezing.

"No kidding, but still," she paused before continuing in a manipulative tone, "It would be a great start to this whole friend business, uh, a you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours kind of thing."

"Very well," he agreed walking away from her.

 _Okay, that was easy_ , she thought.

A few moments later a luminous thread flickered followed by the sound of a sharp crack, soon after he reappeared into the weak glow of light she held.

"Thank you," she said taking some branches from him. He set the rest on the ground before lowering himself to sit crossed legged, watching her prepare the fire. It only took her a few minutes to light up the surrounding area, at last able to see somewhat normally.

She sighed with relief. "Ah, thank Kami, my fingers were getting numb."

* * *

It could have been a few hours. Then again Kagome didn't have a way to know for sure how long she had been sitting on her backpack, head resting on her knees and trembling because of the elements. _Oh, well. At least I have the fire to keep my hands and feet from snapping off,_ she thought pushing sleep from her mind while glancing at the ever-stoic youkai. He sat there staring off into the gloom, very still and of course not uttering sound. Kagome could only afford to look briefly, she worried of the fluttering feeling that sat at the bottom of her stomach when she stared too long.

But it couldn't be helped.

The white-haired demon looked so ethereal next to the campfire that she whined inwardly watching his hair slip over his shoulder as he gradually turned his head to her. Ever coy, she beamed at the campfire and pretended she didn't spend the last few minutes comparing his face to Inuyasha's.

"I was under the impression that humans slept at night," he said coolly.

"It's still too cold for me to sleep. Without my camping supplies I might not wake up if I doze off."

He sneered. "As pitiful as you are, I will not let you die, "he started to say as he got up and stepped towards her, "As long as I am nearby this pelt will remain warm," he informed reaching to take the mokomoko from his shoulders.

"You're letting me use it?" She asked with disbelief. "Aren't you worried about me getting my horrible _human_ smell all over it?"

He pulled the fur over his head. "Your scent is not unpleasant to this Sesshomaru."

"Are you saying I smell good?"

"I am." His tone was as apathetic as his expression.

"Really— "

"You are starting to annoy me," he said draping most of the pelt over her shoulders, leaving one end in contact with his body.

An incredible heat overwhelmed Kagome as the fur steadily expanded and wound around her body. When she first touched it, she thought it felt warm because it was on his shoulder, not because it was alive. "Sesshomaru, what is this thing?" It stopped moving when the other end of the pelt slid off his shoulder.

"It is an extension of my youki," he answered returning to where he originally sat.

"This feels wonderful, Sesshomaru. Thank you."

He watched the girl shift in his pelt, pulling her bag from underneath herself to construct a makeshift pillow before curling up next to the fire.

Still she would not settle.

She squirmed about, adjusting the fluff until it was between her and the frigid ground, wrapping it around her small body just so, preventing the cool air from creeping down her back. A content sigh gently heaved the mass of fur, and golden eyes watched her even more curiously as the girl began to scent mark his mokomoko by rubbing her face against it.

 _Hn? No. That cannot be intentional. The hanyou must have failed to inform the girl of Inu customs,_ he convinced himself, unable to peel his eyes away from her wriggling. _And yet she—_

Sesshomaru's musings were stifled when he realized what the miko was now doing—tucking one end of his pelt firmly between her upper thighs. A sudden case of tinnitus muffled his elfen ears as he subtly leaned forward, watching Kagome writhe her hips together far longer than what was necessary. It looked exactly as it appeared, and if somehow, he was mistaken it still didn't change the fact that she was gyrating with his youki between her legs—on her crotch no less. That certainly stirred something within himself as he kept his eyes glued to her all night.

* * *

Several hundred miles to the north all was not still in the night.

As the gang traveled closer to the dragon's territory, demon activity picked up and Inuyasha found himself having to swing his father's fang around. Not to say he was complaining, it was a welcome distraction from his ever affectionate companions.

"Kaze no Kizu!"

"Look out! It dodged—it's right above you!" Miroku yelled from behind the cover of a partially destroyed hut, thankful he and Sango had enough time to evacuate the inhabitants from the area.

"Hold still you scaly bastard!" Inuyasha barked at the agile reptile, leaping out of the way of a worrisome fire attack. The youkai appeared be a dragon humanoid, albeit a lesser one with a _nasty_ ability that left the ground smoldering.

"Have you lost your way, dog?" It asked, voice deep, guttural one could say. "Dog of the west, why have you left behind your lands?"

Blade raised, Inuyasha flashed a bemused glare at the dragon. "My lands? What the hell are you talking about?"

Yellow eyes with a pair of blue slits looked around. In front stood Inuyasha, to the left Sango and her fire cat, and to the right Miroku with his staff locked and loaded. Compared to any of them the demon was a lot taller, roughly by more than a foot with exceptionally long legs and a serpentine muzzle.

"There have been rumors of the Western Lord making his way north," the youkai started to say before throwing a look of disapproval," None of those rumors mentioned anything about you being a hanyou."

"Keh! I ain't the fucking Lord of the west."

"You fit the description of the Lord," the dragon insisted.

"Shows how much you know, my snobby half-brother claims those lands."

The shifty youkai quickly looked left then right. "Brother, you say?"

"Yeah, and not like it matters to you, buddy," Inuyasha started again, pointing his sword at the other demon, "Because you're going to die tonight!"

A gurgled laugh escaped its throat, "My apologies, young Lord, but I must take my leave." Without another word the youkai bound into the air with a great leap and sprinted away, much to Inuyasha's frustration.

"Hey! Come back here and fight me!" The hanyou shouted as he started after him.

"Inuyasha, wait!" Sango pleaded.

"What the fuck for?!"

Both she and Miroku walked towards their game friend.

"It's headed north, just like we are, but we've been at it for days…" her voice faded away.

"Inuyasha, do you think you can you follow the scent of that demon in the morning?" Miroku asked while glancing at the red-hot dent in the ground.

Finally, he understood that they were tired.

"Yeah, I can. The lizard stinks of sulfur so there's no way I'll lose that scent," he confirmed sheathing the Tessaiga.

"Hey, "Sango started, "Do you know of any ties between the far north region and your father's western territory?"

"All I know is that Sesshomaru pisses on every bush in my father's land. And everyone knows dragons live in the mountains up here."

"Apparently the only thing that demon knew of you is that dogs rule the west. It thought you were Sesshomaru," Miroku said with a chuckle.

"Well, dragons tend to live so far in the mountains that they are isolated from most people and demons, especially dog demons," the slayer said turning to look at her white-haired friend, "Thank goodness too. They always gave my people trouble, hard to kill those things."

"Hmph! We'll see about that. I already blasted one of the bastards to bits years ago. Even my old man couldn't do that!"

Miroku smiled recalling his friend's battle with the great Ryukotsusei, "I can't believe I nearly forgot about that. It's a comforting thought."

"Yup, the hardest thing about this whole journey is getting there," Inuyasha said confidently.

* * *

The crackling from the dying campfire was the first thing Kagome heard that morning; the first thing she felt however was a nagging prick on the side of her neck. She woozily smacked at the annoyance and heard a yelp.

A small voice came from under the white fur. "Ow, I see you're awake, Lady Kagome."

"Myoga?" She said with a yawn, "What are you doing here?"

She watched the little demon crawl up her jacket. "Well, you see, some days ago I traveled to Kaede's village to see you and the others."

"Ah, I guess you know what's going on then," she said scratching the back of her neck.

The flea suddenly grew nervous, peeking from under the mokomoko and catching a death glare from the Daiyoukai. "Not exactly, Lady Kagome," he said slipping inside of the fur again, "I know why Lord Inuyasha is not here, off to slay a dragon, but you, why, I'm not sure why you're here, and with the Western Lord no less."

They both snapped to look at Sesshomaru as he emitted a low growl.

"Yeah, let's just say I'm fulfilling an obligation I had to him."

"Obligation?" The old flea asked with a suspicious expression. "What commitment do you have with— "

"You have had your fill, parasite. Go about your business," Sesshomaru ordered.

"Well, alright then. Guess I'll see you later, Myoga," Kagome said playing along with youkai.

Myoga didn't reach his old age by taking risk with his life, so he gathered his questions and took them to go. A speck jumped until satisfied with the distance between the great demon and himself, taking refuge on the side of a tree. Sesshomaru tracked his movements to the tree and sent the most horrid glare Myoga ever seen, its message clear—shut the fuck up.

"So I take it you don't want anyone else to know about this, huh?" Kagome asked as she stood to stretch, then collecting the pelt in her arms.

His tone was distant. "It is preferred."

Despite her effort, one end of the mokomoko dragged across the ground as she approached him. Sesshomaru had been watching closely - it was not the end she had rubbed her face against all night. No, she held _that other_ section in her arms and made sure to place it next to his face as she draped the rest across his back.

"Mind telling me why?" She asked nonchalantly, turning around and crouching as she went through her bag. Kagome pulled out a smooshed slice of chocolate cake and turned to glance at the youkai who wasn't even looking at her. "Hey, I'm talking to you," she said waving at him.

Sesshomaru tuned her out.

Unsure if the girl intentionally laid the end she had between her legs next to his face on purpose or by accident. A demon could interpret that in two ways, a sign of disrespect, or an invitation to an activity that would make him no different from his half-brother and father. It was most certainly disrespectful but he did not mind. He inwardly groaned at the realization—the family trait.

There's just something about humans and dogs.

Male dog demons and human girls to be exact. He acknowledged the appeal, but then again, every human woman in his family thus far had caused unimaginable hysteria – they all died. Mortal girls seemed to be such troublesome, perhaps good-looking creatures.

"Earth to Sesshomaru," Kagome exclaimed, pulling him back into the conversation, "I asked you a question."

"I know that," he responded, "I was ignoring you."


	6. The Fox And The Inu

For most of the morning, Kagome explained why going home for additional supplies was so important. If she were to stay for several or so days at a time, she would definitely need a heavier coat and an actual sleeping bag at least. Sesshomaru was against the idea until she mentioned something about a Japanese to English dictionary, however, his change of heart came with some restrictions.

"You wanna run that by me again?" Kagome asked slipping her backpack on.

"Return by sunset."

She crossed her arms. "Come on, be reasonable."

Before responding he turned on his heel and began to lead her back to the enchanted well. Kagome just realized how deep they ventured into the woods as she walked after him, in every direction all she could see was bare forest.

"I am being more than reasonable."

Kagome caught up and walked beside him.

"No you—"

"Was it not you who proclaimed how quickly she can travel back and forth last night?" The smug youkai asked turning to glance at the girl who was now looking in the opposite direction, muttering something under her breath.

 _Goddamnit_. She sighed. "Okay, okay, I'll return this evening, but on one condition," she started to say as they caught each other's gaze, "Whenever I spend the night here I want to sleep with your…fluffy thing."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her. "That is your only condition?"

"The only one," she confirmed, her tone deviously upbeat.

 _Why does she-_ "That is agreeable to this Sesshomaru," he said with his usual straight face, although his thoughts betrayed him.

They continued to walk together, Kagome not saying much, Sesshomaru not saying anything at all, and with no further stimulation, Sesshomaru's mind went blank as he unconsciously kept his pace. But then, and just for a moment, he detected something extremely relevant to his youkai nature.

Maybe he imagined it.

 _No._

With a deep inhale he all but shuddered, eyes flashing to the northeast. It was there, and so close to the Western border! Make no mistake, an ever-elusive fox demon lurked nearby and he was adamant he would catch up with his distant cousin the instant Kagome disappeared.

Eventually, they reached the clearing where the well sat and suddenly Sesshomaru didn't mind the miko leaving for the day. Kagome tossed her bag in and climbed over the lip of the portal, the moment the great dog demon sensed another hint of the delights yet to come. His head jerked in that direction as he fought the urge to push the girl in, sending Kagome on her way, but thankfully she hesitated only for several seconds before jumping.

Leaving behind an afterimage of his form, he sprinted away before the miko left his world, heading in the direction of the kitsune. Now was the time to suppress his scent as well as his youki - a practice quite rare for that Sesshomaru but essential when tracking foxes. In regard to strength, no fox of any breeding could ever meet an Inu-daiyoukai at parity, but what they lacked in physical might the demons made up for it with cleverness and an unmatched ability to slip away from dogs—despite Inuyoukai possessing the ability of great speed.

This was not a game.

The last time Sesshomaru had the opportunity to sniff around an adult fox was a little over a few decades ago, and catching one was even further in the past. He was the equivalent of a nine-year-old boy then and had left his mother gob-smacked when she saw the young heir drag the body of a kitsune into the royal garden, leaving the carcass at her feet as he beamed a proud fanged smile at her. It was unprecedented for an inu pup to find the tricky youkai, let alone catch one prior to puberty.

Blurring towards his target he couldn't believe his luck. Sesshomaru assumed that the demon purposely avoided the western border, letting its guard down a considerable distance away from it. A wise decision when creeping around the dog house, but the fox didn't count on a certain assassin making camp so far east.

Unusual as it may sound, one could describe his mood as giddy as he hid behind a tree, now a mere forty yards from his target. Carefully, he peeked around the bark, finally spotting the youkai from behind as it warily trudged through the forest. His angular features grew taut, golden eyes slipped into a kind of psychotic stupor as he studied the movements of the three-tailed kitsune. The fox was lumbering through the foliage, holding the lower left side of its torso with one arm. The other held a leaf in place to its forehead as it desperately fought to maintain its concealment spell.

Suddenly it stopped.

Sesshomaru had already closed half the distance, taking cover behind another tree.

Tilting its head upwards to sniff at the air, the male kitsune whipped around and vigilantly scanned the environment. He couldn't detect the demon dog, but he did smell something bizarre – the scent of a human woman. Sesshomaru can easily hide his scent, he cannot, however, suppress the smell of others, and he had never been more distraught over that fact in his life than at that very moment. Oh, if Kagome's scent ended up being the reason why he couldn't sneak up on his quarry the girl would pay dearly.

The village the fox sought out was less than a half-mile away, so he carried on, pinning the smell on his proximity to a human settlement. The injured kitsune took a step and Sesshomaru looked from behind his cover, tension building in his legs as he anticipated the target's gait.

Now.

The instance he sprang from behind the tree the fox let out a choked gasp, frantically pawing at the magical leaf it held against his head, willing a vanishing spell with all its ability.

The dog was quicker this time.

Sesshomaru's claws seized the creature's neck, plastering its face to the ground. "Hanashite!— "It screamed mid phrase and then registering what caught him with a frigid sensation of dread. "KAMI NO!"

"Silence!" the Daiyoukai snarled at the convulsing canid, "Accept your fate with honor, fox."

"OH KAMI, OH, KA—I HAVE TO GET TO THE VIL—"

His tips pierced the kitsune's spinal cord, silencing the demon for good. The lethal blow was delivered without his poison, importantly so, it would have ruined the flesh he had every intention to eat that morning.

Sesshomaru shook off his mild disappointment. The likely reason he was able to dispatch his prey was that it had been injured, but it mattered not in the scheme of things considering the length of time that had passed since his last meal. The dog was particular about his choice of cuts too. He preferred various pieces of leg muscle, the liver, and the brain. But before he carefully butchered the youkai, he wanted to know what kind of wound the fox had been nursing under its clothing. He cut through the material and observed the strange injury.

 _A burn?_

Not only did it produce a faint scent of sulfur, but it also radiated an intense heat when he hovered a bloodied hand over it. It was a devastating blow, the kitsune would have been doomed anyway, and how he saw it, he did the creature a favor by taking it out of its misery with a merciful death. What caused it was of no concern to him.

 _Pity. I do not like cooked liver._

He sliced into a quadricep, careful to avoid making a mess of his silken clothing, and taking great pleasure in the consumption of such a rare treat. It wouldn't be long before the crow youkai arrived, always around when there was demon remains to finish—not that it mattered. True to all dogs, food was consumed quickly except when it wouldn't be socially acceptable.

But what an odd sensation he felt, sitting there on the ground with his blood-stained hands and face, and carrying the aroma of a mortal girl around his neck. Wondering how he got there, and what else was going to happen now that she agreed to stay for more than one night at a time. He wore a smirk holding up the head of the kitsune, knowing the miko was up to something as he bit into the back of the skull.

 **OoOoOoO**

 _"Dang, Kagome, did your phone die or something? I've been trying to talk to you for like a day."_

"I'm sorry, Yuka I was uh, I spent the night at Inuyasha's house."

 _"Oh, okay then. Yeah, I wondered if you were up in the boonies or something,"_ Yuka said, buying the half-truth. _"Hey, uh speaking of Inuyasha, what's going on between you two anyway? I never see him anymore."_

Kagome drooped as she held the phone to her head. She just had to tell someone, surely no harm would come of it if she only mentioned it someone in her time. It's not like Yuka would ever meet Sesshomaru or anything. The secretive girl took a deep breath before she answered. "Yuka, I want—I need to tell you something, but you cannot tell anyone."

 _"I won't tell, tell me."_

"I'm serious, no one can know, not even Eri and Ayumi," she warned.

 _"I swear whatever you tell me will stay between you and me_ ," Yuka assured.

"Alright, so about Inuyasha, I-I just don't know where to begin. It's crazy how different things are between us now. I don't have the feelings I used to have for him anymore and I don't know how to tell him. And now that I think about it he probably knows, but neither one of us has the courage to say anything."

 _"Oh, Kagome."_

"I think it started a few years ago, somewhere around that time. I didn't know what to do about it, or with those feelings, so I just focus all my attention to my classes." Now pacing around her room, she continued, "So we don't talk about it. We don't talk about anything," she paused with a sigh, "And to top it off, I hardly ever see him these days."

 _"But you've been to his house at least several times this week. How are you guys not finding the time to talk?"_

"You've got to keep another secret for me, Yuka."

 _"Hey, unless I'm at gunpoint or something I won't say anything."_

"Okay." Still, she hesitated, allowing an awkward dead air to take hold of the conversation before finally speaking. "I wasn't with Inuyasha, I was with…" she trailed off.

 _"You weren't with Inuyasha? Well, then who the hell—no…"_

"I was with his brother," she admitted and then winced at her friend's reaction. It sounded like Yuka dropped her phone in the excitement.

 _"Wait, how do the Americans say it? 'Oh, my God?' Yeah, that's right, Oh, my God, Kagome not his freaking brother?!"_

"I know, I know."

 _"W-what the hell were you guys doing up there?"_

"Believe it or not just talking."

" _Pffft, just talking_ ," Yuka said with disbelief, " _You don't have to lie anymore_."

"Hey, I'm serious, that's all that happened so far!"

 _"So far? Oh, so that means you two will—"_

Kagome's face grew bright red. "No, no that's not what I meant!"

 _"Ha, I'm just messing with you, I believe you, but damn his brother? You're really trying to start some drama, huh?"_

"Not intentionally," she replied, her voice small.

 _"You got a pic of this guy? What's his name?"_

Now that was an interesting thought, she imagined herself trying to take of photo of the youkai and having to explain the concept of a camera, let alone a smartphone.

"Uh, no I don't have any pictures of him but his name is Sesshomaru."

 _"Sesshomaru? That's a weird name. Cool, but kind of weird. Inuyasha's name is strange too but I guess it's expected."_

"Yeah, I guess so," she agreed with a nervous laugh.

 _"Well, until you get a pic of him, tell me what he looks like."_

"Uh, what he looks like?" She stalled recalling his features, truth burning at the back of her throat as she thought of what to say first. "He's tall, a lot taller than Inuyasha and um, has the same white hair, although it is shinier and longer. Oh, and they even have the same eye color."

 _"So, do you think he's hot?"_

Kagome closed her eyes and exhaled, "Yes."


	7. Ningen With A Side Of Rice

**Oh, man. It's been months since I last updated but so much has happened in my life since my last chapter! With so many personal distractions (moving is always a major pain in the ass) it was no environment to do any writing. But things are definitely more calm now and I'm certainly in less emotional pain than I was when I started this story.**

 **In this chapter the plot really begins to kick off. Naturally, I had some fun with the dialogue between you know who and I hope you all enjoy their interactions with one another.**

 **OoOoOoOoOo**

Inuyasha could sense it, but his human companions could not. There was something off about the settlement they happened upon while following the scent of the dragon they crossed the night before. It appeared it be a quaint village, nestled between what was sure to be vine covered rock formations in the warmer months and a stream that flowed down from the nearest mountain. Any human would continue about their business, thinking it was an abandoned community, but the hanyou detected excessive amounts of sulfur in the area.

Sango realized he was onto something before her lover.

"Hey, is something wrong?" She asked, getting the attention of both males.

"Yeah," he said inhaling the air deeply," I can barely sense it, but this is a demon fox village."

"Demon fox village?" Miroku cut in, "This place looks like no one has occupied it for decades."

Inuyasha lowered himself to a crouch, sniffing at a patch of sandy colored grass that emitted the strongest traces of the dragon youkai's scent, taking note of the singed traces of fur. He picked some of the fur from the ground, collecting it in his hands as he motioned at his friends to come look.

"This is definitely fox fur, and that smelly bastard was here," Inuyasha said shaking the hairs from his hands.

The monk lazily looked around, shrugging at Sango and then asking the question she had burning in her eyes. "So where are the kitsunes?"

Inuyasha stood and scanned his surroundings. "They're hidin' from us—or just me. Foxes avoid people unless they're playing one of their stupid tricks, and they just flat out don't like dogs—keh!"

"Unlike Shippo," Sango chimed.

"The little runt didn't always, but never mind, I'm tellin' ya, there's foxes arou—

The demon's ear twitched, swiveling in the direction of the movement he picked up. Inuyasha put a finger to his lips, telling the slayer and the monk to keep quiet as he crept towards one modestly built youkai structure. While his comrades readied themselves for the unexpected, he entered the dwelling and disappeared from view.

For about ten seconds all was quiet.

"Ah Ha! I got cha ya little shit!" The half-demon yelled over the violent sounds of furniture shifting about. He held the little kit by its scruff and reappeared, bringing the struggling fox with him out of the house. Speaking of Shippo, the tiny vixen was definitely younger than their kitsune companion. She was an adorable creature, someone Kagome would have loved to snuggle with or tidy up her auburn frizzy pigtails. His friends lowered their weapons and watched Inuyasha with mild amusement, but mostly surprised they wandered into an actual fox village.

"Alright, ya runt," Inuyasha started to say dangling the kit closer to his face, "I know there was a dragon 'round here so tell me what you know." With tears collecting in the corners of her eyes, the child wrapped her arms around herself and looked away.

"Aww, don't be so brash," Sango said securing her weapon and walking over to them, reaching out to hold her, "She's practically a baby." The demon child bore a hole through the woman, trying to read Sango's intentions, and all the while heeding her elder's warnings about humans. Perhaps the elders were wrong, she could sense no malice. And just as the vixen extended her arms the hanyou's ears twitched—there were more of them.

"Don't touch it, Sango," Inuyasha said turning around with the kit still in his grasp. Before him stood a young male, sporting a determined face with flickering blue flames lapping at his hands. Twin-tails swirled behind him, fueling a fox fire that felt many times greater than that of Shippo's.

"Let my sister go," the adolescent ordered. Inuyasha huffed and dropped the kit on the ground, watching as she scrambled over to her brother who now wore a bemused face. He expected a fight. "Who are you lot?" He inquired checking his sibling for injury.

"Our apologies for trespassing," The monk bowed before continuing his greeting, "I'm Miroku, this lovely lady here is Sango and he's— "

"Inuyasha," the dog cut in.

"Inuyasha?" A distant feminine voice asked. Both demon and human alike whipped around, looking at a six-tailed fox youkai slowly reveal herself. How regal she appeared as an illuminated leaf hovered in front of her forehead. And while her form was humanoid, her face, hands and feet were unmistakably canid with bright cyan eyes and red wavy hair that rested on her shoulders. The mature vixen surveyed the lot, eyes settling on the hanyou. "You arrived much sooner than I anticipated," she said sashaying towards the half-dog as he quirked a brow.

"You were expecting me?"

"Such a silly question, great inu," she started with a tiny smile, "My messenger already gave you the details, that is why you're here, no?" Inuyasha's face contorted into an even more confused expression as he looked over at his companions for answers. They also wore puzzled faces as the monk cleared his throat.

"Your grace," Miroku began, instinctively sensing that this fox was of high rank," I'm afraid our Inuyasha's nose lead us here, we have crossed paths with no messenger of yours." The kit gasped.

"Brother, you don't think something happened to Kai, do you?"

"Shh, tiny one. Let the elders speak."

"Yeah, I don't know what you're talkin' about—and what's your name anyway?" Inuyasha inquired.

"Forgive me, Inuyasha. My name is Valira. I am the highest-ranking fox of this humble village, but what you say deeply concerns me. You say you happened upon us by chance?"

"Yeah. I was following the scent of sulfur. Last night I battled with a dragon demon before—"

"-Kai fought with a dragon yesterday too!" The little vixen cut in before her brother painfully flicked her ear, shutting her up.

"Then it definitely was the same demon that crossed us, Inuyasha," Sango said quietly. The hanyou nodded in agreement.

"I assume this…Kai was the runner?" The monk asked.

"Yes," the blue-eyed fox confirmed sullenly. Suspecting something awful may have happened to her dependable son. Inuyasha attempted to run his fingers through his tangled hair, knowing what her sudden change of expression meant.

"We'd really appreciate it if you told us all that you know about these dragon bastards."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"Hey, Sesshomaru…if you're up there I could use a little help with my stuff."

She would have heard crickets if it weren't so cold.

"Of course, he wandered off somewhere," she grumbled to herself.

When Kagome pulled herself (as well as her camping supplies) over the lip of the portal she took note of a particularly content Sesshomaru. He laid stretched out across the ground, back towards the forest, and with a palm supporting his head as he lazily blinked at her. Although subtle, his features were less stoic than usual, and if it weren't for his lavish robes concealing his torso she would have noticed his extended abdomen.

"Um," Kagome managed to say, unable to pin her finger on what was up with the royal dog.

The digesting youkai responded with a "Hn" as his fingertips sifted through his smooth hair. "Do you have everything you require, Miko?"

She huffed, sailing past his predictable nonchalance. "I've got enough to stay for three days at the longest."

Sesshomaru sat up and assumed a crossed legged position, eyes closed with annoyance before he addressed her. _Ugh, I have eaten too much far too quickly_ "Girl—"

"—I know, I know. But I'm meeting up with my friends for a New Year's party. It's kind of our thing. We've been doing it for years and—"

"I care not for your excuses."

"It's not an excuse, it's…our tradition," she said looking down at the demon," My friends and I have known each other since we were little and we always have the celebration at my house."

"And if I allow you to honor this tradition, what do you intend to do after the festivities?"

"I would return here the day after," she answered quickly. Her immediate reply caught him off guard. "Would that be okay?"

"That is agreeable."

Kagome grabbed a strap to her overstuffed bag. "Let's get going while there's still daylight. I don't want go through what happened last night again."

Sesshomaru nodded at the girl, stood in one fluid motion and gently smoothed out his clothing. Truth be told the only thing he wished to do that evening was to settle underneath a tree and rest off his meal. It wasn't a common occurrence, eating to such an extent, but all beings indulge occasionally, and he was no exception.

As he walked towards his brother's forest the Miko's voice stopped him.

"Sesshomaru, please?"

"Why are you pleadin—"

Seeing her struggling with her things closed his mouth. Kagome wasn't being idle, she really could use his help. He exhaled lightly and walked over to her, relieving her from the heavy satchel.

"Why pack items you cannot carry?"

"I was banking on you to carry some of that crap for me."

"I am not your beast of burden."

She shrugged and glided past him, "Hey, your brother did it without complaining remember?" A barely audible rumble escaped him. "And since you're expecting a 'similar investment of my time,' I'm expecting similar treatment. And hey, I said please."

Sesshomaru said nothing as he caught up and matched her pace by walking beside her. He didn't want to say anything because Kagome raised a good point.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **THE NIGHT PRIOR TO DAY 1**

The unlikely pair settled down in the same area where they were the night before. Only this time Kagome had a comfortable sleeping bag and other warm clothing to fight off the 45-degree weather. They both sat near the roaring fire as Kagome warmed up something to eat. Not wanting to be rude, she purposely packed an extra helping of steamed rice and general tos chicken to offer to the demon lord that night. Sesshomaru however wanted no parts of it.

"No thanks."

"Aww, come on, trust me it's good," she insisted grabbing a piece of chicken with her chopsticks and wriggling it in front of his face.

"I am not hungry," he said looking at the portion of sweet smelling meat with mild disgust.

"I have never seen you eat anything," she started, popping the meat into her mouth, "How are you not hungry?"

Sesshomaru held back a smirk as he stared at her chewing. Oh, if Kagome only knew. "Even if I were hungry, I do not eat what mortals eat."

She gathered another piece between the chopsticks, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Take no offense, Miko. I simply do not like what humans call food."

The Miko giggled playfully. "You've never had general tos chicken so how do you know you won't like it?" He rolled his eyes behind closed lids as he tucked his hands into his sleeves.

"Hmph."

"Fine. Don't try it. I just thought it would be nice to offer it."

 _Nice?_ Sesshomaru's eyes sprang open and found hers, illuminated by the dancing campfire as he briefly glanced down to gaze at her lips. She froze, hovering a mound of rice before her mouth. "This Sesshomaru recognizes your generosity, but do not bother."

 _That's the coldest thank you I ever heard in my life!_

"I am curious about something though."

 _Of course you are, girl._

"What _do_ you eat?"

"Youkai."

"Whut," she uttered with disbelief as the dog scratched one of his pointed ears and looked at her with disinterested half-hooded eyes. "Are you serious?"

"You have traveled throughout my time for years, how are you not aware of the diet of demons?"

"I-uh, I mean, I've heard of demons eating each other, but most of the ones we've crossed ate animals, human food—

"And _humans_ ," he added with a hint of amusement.

She suddenly lost her appetite.

"Yeah," she began to say while covering up the leftover Chinese food, "So that means you eat animals too, right?"

"Consuming mortal animals is common in demon society, but so is consuming youkai."

"I get that, but do YOU eat wild game?"

"On occasion. I normally eat youkai."

 _Oh my Kami, this is really interesting. I just figured most demons ate raw meat or something, but this freaking guy just eats other demons!_ "Doesn't that mess with youkai relations or something? I mean why eat other demons when there's plenty of boar and deer around?"

The Inuyoukai glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, "It is my preference," he answered, fang-tips peeking ever so slightly from under his top lip. "Does that disturb you, girl?"

"A little," Kagome squeaked before clearing her throat, "But what I really want to know is…uh, have you ever eaten a human?"

He whipped his head in her direction, and his golden eyes widened for just a moment. "How absurd! Inu-daiyoukai would never bother with butchering humans." _There is something unsettling about her curiosity. Why ask such a question?!_

"But you said powerful demons eat humans."

 _Why does she sound disappointed?_ "I did, but that does not mean Inuyoukai are human eaters. We are indifferent to your species." _At least we're supposed to be. Regrettably there is a recessive trait in my lineage._

 _Uh huh, that's a damn lie._ "Is that why the Western lands are surrounded by human settlements?"

"I believe I may have underestimated your intelligence," he admitted, "It would be foolish for any demon to trespass on my territory. The humans took heed of that thousands of years ago and have hovered around every border save for the far west ever since. I care not either way despite it benefiting the mortals."

"I see. So, you won't bother them, but still provide protection indirectly."

"As I said previously, I care not what benefits the mortals get from my family," he concluded as he stood and walked towards the tree where he rested against the night before. Kagome took the hint that she was not going to pry anymore information out the dog—at least tonight. It was getting late anyway. She put away the rest of her food and adjusted her sleeping bag. She was just getting ready to climb inside when she realized something was missing.

She almost forgot.

 _The fluffy thing._

Kagome glanced at Sesshomaru. He sure looked comfy, all wrapped up in his mokomoko with his eyes closed. Maybe he did intend to sleep tonight. Shame that she had to disturb him. Picking herself up, she made a few steps towards him as his eyes fluttered open, saying nothing as she grabbed and then tugged on one end of his youki.

His growl was low, and Kagome was unable to notice just how swiftly he grasped her forearm for a spilt second.

"Nah uh, you promised that I can sleep with your fluff anytime I spend the night here, remember?"

"Take it and leave me be," he said flatly, releasing her.

And there was that mischievous look in her eyes again. Upon noticing it he fixated his orbs on the fire, a tree in the distance, her swan-like throat until finally deciding that keeping his peepers shut was the best decision. As Sesshomaru willed his youki to move, the Miko interrupted the process by reaching behind his head, her palm brushing lightly across his cheek. He registered his heartbeat with a delay as her small fingers touched the back of his neck, moving some of his heavy cool hair out of the way to liberate him from the mokomoko. What seemed like eternity only lasted for several seconds, and before he could fully put any more thoughts together she was already walking back to her sleeping bag.

Much to the relief of the bothered demon.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Deep in the Northern mountains, in an isolated territory few demon and certainly even fewer humans have stepped foot on was the inhospitable land of another Daiyoukai. It's no mystery as to why this demon is more or less unknown, his kingdom was nestled between two active volcanoes that produced a deadly concoction of sulfuric hellish heat.

Now the demons that could withstand this environment were those who specialized in fire based abilities, which means that even Sesshomaru and his great blood would soon succumb to the intense heck that surrounded the kingdom if he was determined to completely scale it. No Inu, Neko or any other mammal based demon of any lineage ever ventured this far north, so any information regarding their territory and natures would be very much appreciated by a certain blue-eyed lord.

His name is Ryukasai.

News spread quickly that the runners assigned to the Western lands were seen scaling the base of his Northwest mountain.

In a chamber hot enough to broil a large turkey in a mere ten minutes, the great dragon anticipated any additional information about the Western lands. He sent out many runners for the purpose of scoping out all of Japan, fishing for key details about the other three great empires to the East, West and South. But more importantly the Western lands.

A humanoid doragon entered the room and bowed deeply at her golden-haired superior. Normally, it would have just been one set of illuminating blue eyes that greeted her.

But this time a second set rose from behind Ryukasai's shoulder.


	8. Heavy Petting

**I want to thank each and every one of you for the wonderful reviews, favorites and follows. How about we lemon things up a bit as we move the plot along?**

 **OoOoOoOoOo**

His hunter eyes opened with start.

A soft moan stirred him from his slumber.

Akin to the night before, he observed Kagome shift about with his pelt, but this time one could not witness what she was doing prior to settling. The miko had buried herself underneath her unusual sleeping aid while she squirmed. All he could see was one end of his mokomoko as she used it as both a cozy head cover and a pillow. Sesshomaru couldn't recall when he fell asleep. He just knew that he had spent at least a few hours watching her periodically toss and turn until the Sandman made his rounds and saw him off.

A second moan thawed his remaining drowsiness, causing him to peel his back from the tree he leaned against. That one almost sounded _suggestive_. Although, many will argue that sleep noises could be interpreted in a number of ways, and hentai thoughts as a first assumption spoke more about the listener than the individual making the sounds. With a hard blink, he lightly shook his head, beamed a thousand-yard stare to the dying campfire and deliberated with himself. _It sounds like she is…_

He then gazed at the night sky, cursing himself over his mind jumping to such a conclusion, and about a human girl no less. Sesshomaru was certainly not his father, at least that's what he told himself as he listened to her quickened breathing. But his diagnosis wasn't convincing, the thoughts were progressively slithering into his mind, exciting as well as disgusting himself in the process—and wanting to get a closer look to determine just what Kagome was now whimpering about.

Kami above, the whimpering.

It started as a coarse moan that rattled around in her throat before tapering off, favoring a feminine high-pitched whine before she inhaled. That's what really compelled him to snappishly stand, pressing his blades to his body to prevent the sounds of metal clanking together, thus ripping through the silent woodlands. Still he hesitated, frozen in place as his thoughts sprinted a mile a moment.

 _She—Kagome must be in the middle of a horrible nightmare,_ he convinced himself, breathing in deeply.

That's strange.

He was unable to detect her discomfort in the air. The more he sniffed the more he realized something was odd. Sesshomaru could not smell anything, not even the forestry surrounding him. He let that revelation push the girl from his thoughts for an instant before she commanded his attention once more.

"Ses-sho…"

His eyes narrowed in her direction, pulse hitching a fit.

 _She is dreaming of me?_

"Please."

A breathy plea so devilishly sweet to his ears it spoke directly to his primal urges. He started to walk towards his tormented companion.

 _It must be a nightmare,_ he reasoned, lowering himself to a crouch and hovering behind her back. _I know she still fears me. Subconsciously it must be the cause of her night terrors._

Sesshomaru carefully slid his fur from her face, positive her mind was playing tricks on her as she dreamt. Gathering his hair as if to ponytail it, he held it over his shoulder so it wouldn't splay across her face as he peaked over her shoulder. Kagome's eyes moved rapidly under her lids. Her facial muscles twitched and quivered haphazardly as her admirer couldn't be moved to wake her, too caught up absorbing himself in her beauty. Oh, how he loathed himself for entertaining the idea of wanting to reach out and stroke her face. A demon of his breeding should feel nothing, especially not desire for a mere mortal. Nonetheless, he wondered how soft her skin would feel under his claw-tips, instinctively aware of just how gentle he would have to be to avoid slicing her.

 _One ill move would ruin her creamy-_

"Sessho…maru. Don't…stop," she groaned.

His entire lower body clenched.

Sesshomaru is a red-blooded male. He knew exactly what that infliction implied. She was dreaming of him touching her in some way and begging him to not stop.

 _What am I doing to you?_

As if trying to answer, she turned her head and moaned softly, and the dog's only reaction was to part his lips with his tongue. Now he willed himself to control his breathing as this was new to him—wanting to take a human girl. His own personal taboo sending waves of rhythmic throbbing throughout his body, tempting him to do something he considered most dishonorable for a creature of his nature. That damnable father of his and his ningen loving ways. Like a fugus the trait spread from branch to branch on his family tree, threatening acts of bestiality in its wake. He dared not to make a sound, so he groaned inwardly and clenched his eyes shut.

 _Is this the temptation you had to battle with, father?_

Upon opening them a bolt struck his senses and fizzled throughout his body. Kagome was staring at him through hooded eyes, her chest heaving. Sesshomaru waited for her to scramble away from him in a justifiable panic, but she didn't move, she didn't even scream. In fact, what she said next liquified his brain.

"Why did you stop?"

He could barely hear his voice over the blood pumping through his ears.

"What do you mean?" He managed to say with a steady tone.

Kagome rolled on her back. "Stop playing with me. You were touching me here," she huskily informed while tracing her upper inner thigh. Sesshomaru finally sat down and crossed his legs, having been crouching the entire time. Watching her small pale hand move across her tight-fitting pants.

 _This cannot be happening._

"Was I?"

 _She tells me to 'stop playing with her.' I can't—_

She nodded. "I didn't want you to stop."

The youkai's fortitude could hold out no longer. He seized the girl's forearm, forcing her to sit up before planting her in his lap. Again, he thought it was strange he could not smell her but that was a trivial concern at that time. Her back against his chest, he looked down scowled. Her jeans were the only form revealing item she wore, and it was too cold to remove her jacket. She squirmed impatiently in his lap, cautiously rubbing her hair against his chest lest she impale herself on his armor. Unconsciously he grabbed both her arms and savagely shook her body left then right, getting a good look at the human's arteries. He compared her obvious need with that of female youkai, enthralled with her willingness to be manipulated in such a way without sinking his fangs into her flesh first.

He came to the realization that yes, he was his father's son and there was no escaping his desire to raid this miko's womb. Sesshomaru could deny it, tell himself that these beings were beneath him, but that took nothing away from the fire he felt with having a petite girl on his body. By Kami did she feel good. If he were a demon of dissimilar lineage he would have taken her right there, penetrating her through her clothing.

"Please," she pleaded, fogging the musings in his head.

He reached down her leg and dragged his hand up her thigh, stopping just before reaching her heated core. The faintly audible sounds of threads catching on the tips of his claws filled his ears as the sensation rocked shivers throughout her body, inducing the most erotic mews he ever coerced from a female. He exhaled with a wicked grin, pinning it on her delicate neck as he looked down at her quivering form.

"Don't stop there," she whined.

Sesshomaru couldn't keep himself from chuckling against her neck. "Where do you want me to stop?" He teased knowingly. Kagome was breathless at this point.

"Your hand...higher."

His hand painstakingly moved just an inch, drawing out a frustrated groan. "What's wrong, Miko? I moved higher just as you requested." Abruptly she reached up, arching her back as she grabbed his neck, scooting her hips until her crotch lined up perfectly with his hand. "Ah, so that's where you want me to touch you?" Removing his face from her neck he watched her take her bottom lip, wanting to bite it himself as she nodded vigorously at his question. "You contradict yourself, Kagome."

Still his hand would not move.

"I don't…what—please just touch me there," she continued to beg.

 _She's unraveling in my lap._

"You do not recall telling me that I cannot touch you?"

Her breathing hitched for several breaths, and like a child on the brink of a tantrum her hips bucked into his hand. "I take it back. Just—oh my Kami, I just want you to touch me there."

Finally, he began to massage her pussy through her clothing, forcing one cheek to his chest as he rested his chin on the other side of her face. He could feel the wetness through the seam of her pants, and his male pride swelled as large as his erection—albeit rather conflicted considering he just discovered that he can make both demoness and ningen grool with fervor.

"Mmm, more," she panted, "I want more."

Arousal saturated his features as he worked her over, losing himself bit by bit as her ass gyrated on his member. A small energic hand worked its way up from his neck, skimming across his cheekbones before gouging at the crown of his hair. Kagome took a fist of it, jerking his head downwards and pulling a throaty growl from the Daiyoukai. He then decided it was his turn to yank her hair, exposing her slender throat in the process. Immediately he was drawn to her pulse and couldn't hold back his need to sink his fangs into her neck. It wasn't a painful bite, not meant to even break the skin, but he wanted her to be still and know he had every intention to give her _more_.

Oh, the demon wanted more of her. He wanted to do more than caress her through her jeans. Sesshomaru held her neck steadfast between his teeth as he took a single claw and sliced through the seam of her crotch, exposing the girl to the brisk air. She gasped and turned to look the youkai in the eye. And just before he touched her bare sex the outer edge of his vison began to blur until he could no longer see the deprived female in his lap. It was as if his eyes were closed.

Actually, his eyes _were_ closed because Kagome's rustling from under her sleeping bag ripped him from his erotic dream. The chilled weather didn't prevent his clammy condition either. Sesshomaru's fringe laid plastered against his forehead as he panted, trying to calm his heart rate—as well as his raging erection. He glanced at Kagome who was sound asleep and definitely not making any questionable noises. No male is a stranger to sex dreams to say the least, but that Sesshomaru had never dreamt something so realistic, and about a human girl no less.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Her scaled claws trembled as she untied the bindings of the scroll, silently cursing her ability to read written text. Of course, that was reason why she was one of her master's most trusted and useful servants, few peons were educated. One by one the female retainer was to relay the latest findings of her lord's spies whilst ignoring the writhing iridescent yellowish-brown mass wrapped around Ryukasai's shoulders.

The fair skinned aristocrat tucked a section of his lengthy blonde strands behind an ear indistinguishable from a human's and casted a bright, expectant gaze at her from atop his magnificent throne made entirely of fire opal.

"The Eastern Kingdom is a relatively desolate land that is controlled by feline youkai. They have no allies and are moderately hostile to all dynasties and ningen populations. As such, few demons encroach on their soil and even fewer mortals. Ruled by the leopard Daiyoukai Juryoku, from what we saw he specializes in elemental attacks such as lightening and ice. As expected, his three thousand strong battalion can use those abilities to a lesser extent, and he only commands about nine or ten neko demons with above average capabilities."

A yawn fanned across her lord's impeccable face.

"The Southern Kingdom is encircled by rolling plains and is under the command of bear youkai. They are allies of the Western Kingdom and are seldom hostile to both demon and ningen alike. Ruled by a bear that transcended into Daiyoukai status, the spirit bear named Kumashiri is the protector of the lands. While the bears are formidable in strength, they specialize in elemental magic and healing spells second only to the power of legendary vicars. Kumashiri's army is small. About one-hundred and fifty kuma strong, but with each possessing great spiritual power."

Ryukasai grinned, "Great spiritual power my ass," he jeered, tilting up his head with arrogance, "We'll see about that, won't we, Rai?"

"Most definitely, Ryukasai-sama."

"Carry on then."

"The Western Kingdom is a hospitable territory that is guarded by Inuyoukai. They are allied to the Southern kingdom and are extremely hostile to neighboring demons, but indifferent to the many ningen communities that surround nearly every border. Ruled by a hanyou called Inuyasha, the blood of a late Inu-Daiyoukai pumps through his veins. Although he has subpar strength as far as demon standards go, his youkai sword is a force to be reckoned with, capable of mowing down one-hundred demons with a single stroke. Despite being the lord of the Western lands, he rarely ventures into his own territory and prefers the company of humans. It is unknown how large an army he has at his helm."

"A hanyou?"

"Yes, m'lord. According to the scroll the west is ruled by a half-demon."

"I wonder what compelled his father to bed a worthless human."

"It's a mystery, m'lord."

"An utter travesty," Ryukasai replied sarcastically, "But oh, how I _enjoy_ gossip. I need to know more about the cur of the west."

"Shall I organize another group, Ryukasai-sama?"

A snigger filled the chamber. "Get out of my head and go fulfill my wishes, Rai."

"Master," the servant dragon bowed before turning to leave.

"Oh, dearest Rai," he purred, stopping her as she placed a hand on the door carved from brimstone. "Let my eyes and ears know I want more information about the mongrel's sire. I imagine there is a reason why the bastard does not live in the Western kingdom."

"As you wish, m'lord."

The massive door opened and closed with a groan as Rai exited and walked into a corridor so haunting it was rivaled only by depictions of hades. At the end of the hall another loyal retainer was ready to receive the latest demands of their lord.

"Ryukasai-sama wants more subjects sent out to the west as well any other information regarding the lineage of the current ruler, Inuyasha. Knowing our master reading material is preferred."

"Reading material? I'm afraid we have little to nothing relating to Inu-Daiyoukai in the library."

"Then instruct the runners to bring some back."

"Certainly, Rai, but you may want to tell the master that all but one of the original messengers have returned."


	9. Hot, But Mostly Bothered

**Ah, the wonderful comments and follows are just so lovely. Thank you all. I think this may be my favorite chapter thus far. It was so fun to write and I hope you will enjoy it too. I thought about separating Kagome's 3 day visit in chapters but decided against it. I'll let it be known when another day starts, but I felt that doing the former would have messed up the flow of what I'm trying to do here.**

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

The familiar trio packed up camp when dawn broke.

With her paws and tails ablaze, Kirara hauled both Miroku and Sango through the chilled morning air while running alongside Inuyasha in full stride. The gang was on the move with renewed vigor, penetrating deeper into the north with determined perseverance.

What fueled them was the information they managed to pry from the gentle lady fox. The vixen told them the dragon bulldozed into her peaceful territory after having left her eldest son, Kai, a three-tail, in charge of defending the village. Upon returning, Valira was informed that the demon demanded to know what they knew about the western lands and Inuyasha. Obviously the kitsunes aren't allied to the Western kingdom by any stretch, but still they suspected nothing good would come out of revealing details about their southwestern neighbors to the scaly invader from the north. Especially when that same trespasser appeared to be unware of the killing perfection.

Not like it mattered anyway. They knew little other than what truly mattered—keeping out of Sesshomaru's way as he had a notorious taste for their flesh, and that the second heir to the throne, Inuyasha, had a tolerance of foxes.

Unwilling to snitch, the kitsunes triggered the reptile's wrath, and it focused its frustrations on Kai. Inuyasha noticed the pride in the mother's voice as she relayed what had occurred between her son and the demon. He fought bravely, instructing the lesser kits to flee and hide themselves as he traded blows with the minion from hell. Kai managed to meet the bastard at parity, even thwarting the youkai's attacks—at least until the young fox's overzealousness clouded his judgement. Kai's two-tailed brother said he underestimated his opponent and thus received a direct strike to the abdomen. The vicious attack was not like anything they've witnessed before—a burning fist that left whatever it came in contact with aflame. An indescribable sense of alarm crept into the half-demon's heart when he was told that the dragon did not _physically_ punch the ground—like when he sparred with it. Rather, the charred grass he scrutinized when he first entered the village was where Kai toppled over, shrieking in agony as he was slowly cooked from within.

Soon after the dragon disappeared and despite his great injury, Kai gathered what remaining strength he had and informed his younger brother that he was going to travel to the human village where the fox friendly hanyou lived. Wanting to personally tell Inuyasha that a dangerous youkai was trolling about and speaking his name.

Regrettably, they never happened upon Kai. It was an implausible coincidence that they still managed to find the fox community, but true nonetheless. Maybe fate had something to do with it. And only after insisting multiple times to the elder that they knew nothing of her son did Valira finally believe the trio, sending out a search party who would be unaware that they would be seeking out Kai in vain.

"Check it out, guys," Inuyasha said with a confident smile, "You can just make out the mountains. We're almost there," he concluded with a dramatic leap.

Miroku peaked from behind the slayer's shoulder and squinted. "Uh…oh! Yes, I can just barely make it out. Look, Sango."

"Wow. It's so massive," she said with a raised brow. "How long until we reach the base?"

"Two days if we keep runnin' like there's no tomorrow," Inuyasha answered, "But if you weaklings need to stop and rest then it'll take us three days at most."

"Then the real test begins," the monk added looking at the hanyou, both nodding in unison.

"Yeah, that's just the first mountain. I ain't got the faintest idea what's beyond it."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **DAY 1**

"Brrr," Kagome murmured, waking with an invigorating stretch and then quickly shoving her arms back under the heated mokomoko. Despite the weather she slept well and was sold on the idea of her sleeping bag being an invaluable asset. It wouldn't be long before the sun warmed the earth from cold to a tolerable chill so she decided to wait it out by tossing firewood on the dying campfire. Sighing contently, she watched the flames roar back to life, basking in the therapeutic tranquility of the crackling embers.

 _A cup of tea would be the cherry on top right now_ , she pleasantly thought.

She then glanced at the apathetic demon who remained propped against his favorite tree, flashing him a warm smile that came dangerously close to unleashing the rumble in his throat.

"Good morning, Sesshomaru, did you sleep well?"

He didn't reply.

Instead he shot her a look as cold as the air. ' _Guess he's not a morning person._ "O…kay, well, if you were wondering…I slept better than I thought I would."

Nothing.

"I swear, I'm in love with this fur of yours. It's just _sooo_ warm," she cooed, wrapping it tighter around herself in a theatric-esque manner.

Sesshomaru pierced her with a sharp expression, jaw tight with an inner turmoil he could not share. With his dream still swimming around in his mind—and not yet prepared to speak with the girl—he blinked and deliberately turned his head from her. Kagome, although familiar with his phlegmatic likeness, couldn't help but feel his behavior this morning was unwarranted. Her brow furrowed as the demon gave her the honor of gazing at his angular profile.

"Sesshomaru."

"What," he deadpanned.

"It's rude to ignore someone who tells you good morning."

"I do not care."

"You should," Kagome insisted.

Still, he would not look at her.

"Why?"

Mystified, her large eyes bore a hole at the ground, unable to shake the feeling that she is missing something here. He appeared to be a lot more tolerable—and talkative—last night. She wondered, what had changed in the span of a night?

"Because that's not how friends interact with one another."

"How convenient for you then," he scorned.

"What makes you say that?"

Aggravation bubbled in his throat as he spoke through gritted canines. "I have reason believe you will use every opportunity to speak when your words are not needed nor desired."

 _Okay, hold on a freakin' minute!_ "You know," she started with a huff, "You're asking _a lot_ of me to stay here for three days without any conversation."

She couldn't see his face but she knew he rolled his eyes at her.

"I spoke nothing of you being quiet for three days. I'm telling you to be silent _right now_."

Snap.

" _Telling?_ Where do you get off—"

"Mi- _ko_ ," he all but barked, finally glaring at her. Kagome was gobsmacked.

 _What the—_ "How dare—"

A strangled snarl thundered in her direction, squeezing the air from her lungs and at last quieting the girl—at least while she gathered her boiling thoughts. Sesshomaru might have as well marched over and smacked her across the face. _He pretty much told me to shut up,_ she thought with her eyes rolling with each deliberate blink and her mouth ajar as she dangled an upturned palm incredulously. _He has the audacity to tell me to shut up as if I just didn't wake up in a cold forest he wanted me to sleep in? Hmph! I was only trying to tell his snooty, over dressed, no-hair-out-of-place_ _ **self**_ _good morning_.

"If you're going to be that rude, fine, I don't even want to talk to you now."

His chuckle was low and heavy with smuggary. "Your hypocrisy astounds this Sesshomaru," he stated before lifting his chin, "And your discourtesy is rivaled only by your _coveted_ half-breed."

Kagome's irked expression faded into bemusement as she watched Sesshomaru claw through his hair.

"But I suppose," he paused for emphasis, "You are the company you keep," he concluded with a toss of his tresses.

"You…are you saying I'm bad-mannered?"

"I am."

He didn't fail to notice her cooling mood, or how she looked away with self reflect in her eyes. Instead, he made a mental note to call the girl insolent if he ever wished for her to stop bumping her gums in the future. _A clever diversion indeed_ , he thought.

Although, he didn't like what dawned on him during their exchange. The dream induced emotions so conflicting it made him irritable, and he didn't know what to make of them yet. Sure, he found her pleasant to look at, but that dream was so obscenely graphic its influence ruffled his infamous resolve. It also had poor timing—he just came to grips with admitting that he liked her face. Knowing the girl's nosy nature, she was sure to interrogate him over something that managed to crack his usually steeled face. A flabbergasted Sesshomaru? Ridiculous.

They both welcomed their lack of eye contact in the sweet, sweet silence. Kagome beaming a faux interest at her sneakers; Sesshomaru looking very much disturbed, wide-eyed and peering into the depths of the forest. All the youkai needed was a bit more time to go over the scenes in his head until he was immune to the influence it wrecked upon his being. Something he had been in the process of doing before Kagome's enticing smile spiked his pulse. Immorality or not, a youkai's heart could only pound with alarm so much.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"This is the book I talked about yesterday."

Kagome's tone lacked a certain spice Sesshomaru had grown accustomed to since pairing up. No doubt his words had a greater effect on her than he would have thought possible-she was attempting to reel in her uncouth mouth. A curious concept now that he allowed the nagging suspicion to the linger in his already thrumming mind. Usually, when someone tries to adjust their behavior based on the opinion of another it's because they believe there is some value in the criticizer's words—or a degree of social intelligence. _Either or_ , he thought.

How annoying it is to be unsure of someone's intentions.

Yes, Kagome did agree to be his friend, but he still felt apprehensive due to her shifty scent and perplexing body language, confident her accommodating words were a mere ploy to remove himself from her face from day one. He also suspected the only reason she was entertaining this farce was because eventually, her real friends would return and she couldn't just avoid her comrades—or that Sesshomaru—forever. Sesshomaru would have waited by the well for as long as necessary, determined to prove a point after all.

 _Enough. Get out of my mind, girl._

It took half the morning, but eventually both ningen and demon settled their personal differences and slowly began to communicate with one another. Nothing too wordy. A few sentences here, a few 'Hn's there. Naturally, Kagome extended the olive branch first—the English to Japanese dictionary she promised him yesterday. With a quirked brow, he took the hefty book from her, pretending to show no interest in her unnecessary proximity to his person as she plopped down and leaned against his tree with reading material of her own.

He grazed a claw over the hardcover, again impressed with the artist who perfected such realism, but unable to fully comprehend just what he was looking at. It appeared to be a series of buildings, impossibly symmetric and made from materials he could not identify. The craftsmanship looked way too intricate to be produced by human hands as well. He glanced at Kagome out of the corner of his eyes, wanting to confirm that she was preoccupied with her own text before ever so delicately cocking his head to one side with inu-like inquisitiveness.

 _Since when did humans gain the ability to manipulate and communicate through fire in such a way?_ At least that's what he assumed he was looking at. Vivid shades of green, blue and red—all so breath taking the great dog spent a full five minutes gawking at a generic stock image of a cozy backstreet in Kyoto, unaware that he was captivated by adverts consisting of neon lights.

Kagome on the other hand longed for her smartphone. She would have been able to consume herself in the nonstop novelty the internet provided, thus distracting herself from the prince's accurate evaluation of her character.

Before she jumped across time, she made up for her lack of internet by printing out articles that caught her interest. However, not expecting Sesshomaru to turn even colder than his usual self, she feared that what she did bring would be finished by tomorrow.

 _Oh well_ , she sighed.

For the time being, Kagome figured she might as well catch up on the latest archaeologic findings. In fact, several of her printouts were from her favorite archaeological website, and the paper she decided to tuck into first seemed intriguing enough— "Ancient Dog Skull Suggests Early Domestication."

Comprehension gave way to daydreaming as she skimmed through the words, half absorbing the information as her mind wandered off. "…specimens from before about 26,500 years ago are very rare. This is likely due to…" Absentmindedly fingering the shell of her ear, she continued to read without _reading_. "…sparse historical record, scientists have been mostly in the dark as to how and when wolves evolved into dogs…"

Suddenly she looked up from the paper, the last of what she just read ringing around her brain as she silently mouthed, _'When wolves evolved into dogs.'_

'… _evolved into dogs,'_ she emphasized once more _._

A whimsical revelation popped into her head.

 _Okay, so people and dogs have walked beside one another for thousands of years. Uh huh, got that. Dogs come from wolves. Alright, yeah everyone knows that._

Pondering, the girl began to stare at the Western Lord.

 _And dogs would not exist if it weren't for humans._ _Yeah…yeah,_ she counter-thought with increasing excitement as her premise took form. _So, it could be possible that people had something to do with the existence of Inuyoukai. I mean, if Sesshomaru were a wolf demon, yeah, alright, whatever. No need to dig deeper, but he's a dog…_

Sensing her gaze, the demon in question looked up from the dictionary and at her.

… _and because of that fact Inuyoukai may be related to…mortal dogs._

"Hey, can I ask you a funny question?"

"Hn?"


	10. A Girl's Best Friend

**Hello again! I had to cut this chapter a little short as the dreaded writer's block crept into my head. I was stuck on this chapter for two weeks. And after some editing I decided to not force it and end it here. I already have a rough, and I mean ROUGH draft of chapter 11 wrote out. I'm trying to figure out the best way to incorporate an OC character who will reveal a bombshell…**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"Can you tell me what you know about wolves?"

" _Wolves_?" He enunciated.

"Mhm."

He took a moment to process her question as it had staggered him. The girl's sparkling tone piqued his curiosity as well.

 _Alright, girl. I'll entertain you._

"Why do you ask?"

"Honestly," she replied, tucking a section of her hair behind an ear, "I just want to know more about you, get you talking more. Like…" She hesitated and looked down at her papers, briefly eyeing the black and white illustration of a wolf-dog's skull. "…you're so mysterious and, um, kind of secretive and—"

Just a look from the demon was enough to separate the Miko from her words. She had spent enough time staring into Sesshomaru's eyes to know that something was different about this gaze. If only for a second, she noticed his expression softening.

"—y-your ancestry…it's fascinating to me. " _Kami, I barely got that out. I'm stammering all over the place._

"My ancestry, you say? So, you wish to ask more than one 'funny' question?"

"If _Sesshomaru-sama_ will allow it," she quipped, gaining control of her jittering nerves.

He raised a brow. How sweet his formal name rolled off her tongue.

"I did not take you for a bootlicker, Miko."

"I'm not, but I don't think you're fond of 'my discourtesy," she jested, lightly imitating his baritone voice.

"If we are being honest," Sesshomaru said as he concealed his smirk, "I do find your prying amusing at the best of times."

A smile spread across her face, reacting to the glint in the youkai's eyes. His unpredictability was unsettling at times, but if she didn't know any better one could say he was being playful.

"So, about those wolves," Kagome reminded him, "Tell me what you know."

"I know many things. Perhaps too much to relay in one day."

"Hmm, good point. Well, let me be more specific. Tell me, what do you know about their relationship with people?"

"Are you referring to both youkai and mortal okami?"

She nodded. "Maybe start with the regular wolves?"

"The mortals have a long history of troubling humans—attacking both their community and livestock, if you will. I suppose the ningen's lesser numbers and lack of organization in the past was the reason for that. Over time their weapons improved. Enabling them to fight off attacks from wolves as well as other predators. Although, I would not be surprised if their dogs had something to do with it as well."

Kagome's posture improved.

"Dogs, you say?"

"Yes. You will have to excuse my limited knowledge of the beasts. They are of little importance to all creatures save for their human masters," he informed before continuing, "But I suspect that with the human's increased ingenuity over the centuries they incorporated stricter breeding practices. Favoring heavier, more capable dogs to help combat the wolves."

Kagome looked at him expectantly when he stopped talking.

"Inuyoukai have never lived peacefully alongside wolf demons. We detest the worthless lot with such bitterness that I would not hesitate to disembowel any who dare trespass on my land."

"Has any ever given you trouble?"

His scowl was nothing short of _oh, please_. "It's been at least a few thousand years. Before my time."

"Your time…just how old are you?"

"I turned five-hundred and four this year."

"Wow! I turn nineteen in a few weeks."

"Riveting," he muttered straight-faced, "But I do believe we were talking about okami demons."

"Ah, I'm sorry. Go on."

"When I was a pup, my father told me that wolf demons were once far more formidable than they are today, on par with our blood you could say. However, as capable as they were it didn't prevent my father from ripping the throat out of the last known okami-daiyoukai."

"Hold on. There were great wolf demons? I'm friends with a few packs and thought they were always lower tier youkai."

Sesshomaru glowered at her admission. _Friends?_

"What? They're not that bad. I'm an honorary wolf to one pack."

 _Hmph! A title more worthless than my brother. At least he has the blood of my father in his veins._ "If I may continue," he said flatly, "Prior to the last great wolf's death, the demons were often caught sniffing around the taken western territory. It is believed they had done so before it was claimed by my blood."

"And when did your family claim it?"

"If my memory serves me correctly, about sixteen thousand years ago."

"What sore losers. The wolves fought your family for the territory for that long?"

His voice dripped with pride. "Until they could no longer."

"And what about the people? Did the youkai attack them while all this fighting was going on?"

"Ningen populations were attacked often, albeit by low rank demons and their controlled mortals. It was not until we started to compete for the ownership of the western lands that the humans began to settle around the border."

"Which was…?"

"Sixteen thousand years ago."

The more Sesshomaru talked the more Kagome believed in her theory of man's best friend being ancestors of Inuyoukai. The challenge was to bring up her inkling without offending the great dog. It is obvious that he holds his lineage with great esteem.

"And before that?"

"Our bloodline has no record prior to sixteen thousand years."

"Why do you think that is?" She asked somewhat knowingly.

"The lack of a written language," he replied with confidence.

"I don't think that's it, Sesshomaru." Amber narrowed before his brows slipped into a furrow. "But I may know why."

He rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I am eager to hear what an eighteen-year-old _human_ has to say about what occurred sixteen thousand years ago."

"Good," she quickly responded with a sickly-sweet tone, "Because I think you are the descendants of our dogs." Her words rattled around in his head; his expression steeled in response to her triumphant smirk.

" _What did you say_?"

"I think you're related to mortal dogs," she repeated matter-of-factly.

If looks could kill.

"Explain your sadistic assault upon my lineage."

Her laughing triggered his anger even further.

"It's not like it's an insult or anything," she assured him, "And before you strike me down where I sit, give me a chance to explain."

"Speak quickly," Sesshomaru warned.

"Okay, okay. Alright, see, dogs are pretty much wolves who have been tamed and then domesticated by humans."

… _as if a mere dog could produce something as great as this Sessho—_ "Hn? Inu are okami?"

"Well, they were wolves, now they're something different."

"One could argue that they are similar, but that does not mean they are wolves."

"Try to keep an open mind," she said before handing him the paper that sparked all of this. Although hesitant—licking the wounds inflicted to his pride—he took the sheet from her as she continued. "There are still disagreements about how we tamed wolves, but make no mistake, dogs and wolves are so closely related that they can produce offspring."

Sesshomaru struggled to pay attention, his eyes darting back and forth between the girl and the paper.

"I don't understand," he admitted, "What does this have to do with my bloodline?"

Her chuckle was wholesome. "Because, Sesshomaru, dogs would not exist if it were not for people and…" _That's a new expression_ , she thought.

"And?"

"…I don't believe you would have either," Kagome finally revealed, pausing to give the youkai a chance to absorb what she had said. "I know there's a lot of thoughts running—"

A blur appeared in front of her. Cool and splaying across her face, the ends of his silken strands tickled her cheekbones as she looked up at the demon who was glaring down with bared canines.

"Hey, what—"

His display intensified, further revealing his fangs. _Good lord is he pissed off,_ she thought. Kagome could quite literally pinpoint where his growl vibrated in his throat. It should have been horrifying. The way he hovered over her sporting a menacing look, but Kagome just could not process it that way. Instead, she felt thrilled, completely indifferent towards the danger she put herself in. Crimson crept into her cheeks as she scanned his face, taking in every inch of those pissed off features. _But he's so…hot._

At least her priorities are in the right place.

 _Jeez, of all things to think of at a time like this,_ she recoiled inwardly.

"I've had enough of your absurdity, girl."

"It-it's not absurd! If you'll just calm down I can explain, I swear!"

"Silence! You…"

His words caught in this throat upon realizing her changing scent and blushing face. He had intended to raise the smell of fear from the blabbering girl but instead invoked another.

"Sesshomaru…?"

It was intoxicating. A mild musk with a sweet finish.

"…hey, what's up with you?" She wondered out loud.

His eyes glazed over as he felt his rage leaving him.

"Excuse me," he muttered from a distant place.

And just like that he tucked his fangs away and removed his person from her face. Taking a seat against his tree once more. Kagome grabbed the paper she had gave him before his outburst and handed it to him again.

"Are you willing to listen to me now?"

Sesshomaru slowly tilted his head towards her.

 _You smell lovely, Kagome._

He nodded.


	11. Of Dragons and Curs

**You know, I really wanted to continue the interaction between Sesshomaru and Kagome but just had to take a break during this chapter. I still want to work out some of the dialogue they'll share with a very special OC character in the future. Hmm, maybe in the next chapter. I know, I know, OC characters are a touchy subject around these parts but I promise I'll do my best to make it work.**

 **Also, this is officially the longest story I have attempted to write in my 15 years of pumping out poorly written fanfiction. Well, I didn't always write Inuyasha fics but I digress. I spend a lot of time reading other highly rated fanfictions and fiction in general, and man, there is just so much to improve on! I feel like this doesn't measure up. And it doesn't, at least to me. IDK, I'm just rambling now, but the point is I'm trying to best to improve with each chapter.**

 **And I want to especially thank you for the wonderful and inspiring reviews, favorites and follows you lovely readers are leaving. Really, I appreciate it.**

 _Sacrilege!_

He couldn't think of a better word to describe the blasphemy that came from her mouth.

Sesshomaru didn't say much. Not even when she used terms he didn't understand.

 _Carbon dating? Scientists? Chihua…hua? Nani?!_

Kagome spoke freely and uninterrupted—going on about how long dogs have walked alongside man. He was intrigued by her knowledge; how she educated him confidently, and with such conviction he could not help but consider that maybe, just maybe, there were some truth to her words.

She explained in-depth that dogs were an undeniable human 'creation' and therefore it would be impossible for his breed to exist on a whim, out of nowhere, and feelings be damned.

His face, once ever stoic tweaked with strain.

And consequently, Sesshomaru couldn't help but attempt to salvage his crumbling pride, arguing that perhaps his bloodline came from 'naturally wild' Inuyoukai—to which Kagome gave a firm no.

The wishful archaeologist even pointed out how similar his true youkai form was to established dog phenotypes. Bringing attention to traits that were the result of domestication and how those characteristics—his traits, were known as paedomorphism. As he battled internally over the meaning of 'paedomorphism,' she teased him half-heartedly, telling him how his beast reminded her of the massive—and often white furred—livestock guardian dogs who hide themselves amongst their flock, intercepting wolves and other threats. She had taken a moment to explain what paedomorphism was to the greatly offended dog, asking him what adult wolf, both demon and mortal a like had floppy ears or a long, flowy tail.

He had no answer.

But there was something that neither the girl or the demon had an answer for—how Inuyoukai came to be.

He combed through his mind for answers. Cursing himself for not paying closer attention to his elders as they relayed family history when he was a know-it-all pup. Although, now that he thought about it, his blood's origin was never explained to such an extent. From what he remembered, he was led to believe that his kind were always so, and the only reason why there weren't any other records was because they had yet to invent written word—if they did anyway.

He closed his eyes, massaging his temple as a smug Miko collected her papers. Kagome figured that he was going to need a moment, or several after their conversation spilled over into the early afternoon, so she left him to it and pulled a bottle of water from her bag.

He recovered quickly.

"Gather your belongings," he instructed rising to his feet, "We are leaving."

She choked on her water a bit. "Leaving? Where are we going?"

"To the outskirts of my kingdom."

"Your kingdom? Why?"

"To seek out answers."

"What an—you know what, never mind, but it'll take days before we get there," she complained as Sesshomaru swung around and snatched her backpack, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Indeed." He stood in front of her avoiding direct eye contact. Instead he looked in the direction that lead to his territory.

"Then what's the point? You know I'm leaving in another two days."

"We aren't going to walk, Miko, we are going to fly."

Her voice was small. "Uh, fly?"

"Yes. We should arrive before sunset."

"Okay, and uh how are we going to do this?"

"I'll have to carry you, of course," he smoothed over her mounting anxiety, suddenly looping an arm under her thighs and using his other to cradle the girl against his chest. He braced himself, preparing for flight when Kagome bucked in his grasp, tugging at his clothing.

"J-just a second," she stuttered, "Don't take off—hey! Put me down!

Puzzled, he set her back on the ground. "What is wrong?"

"I don't want you to hold me that way, it…it makes me feel uncomfortable."

"There is no reason for you to be uncomfortable."

"That's for me to decide, thank you very much."

"Why do you feel uncomfortable? Do you not trust that this Sesshomaru will transport you safely?" He felt slighted, but of course she _believed_ he could haul her without incident. The problem was when he plucked her from her feet, pressing herself to his body without warning.

Oh, and that she liked it too, but he didn't need to know that.

"I would prefer ride on your back," she mumbled with half-truth.

"Very well," Sesshomaru acknowledged as he turned his back to her, crouching forward with upturned palms and ready to receive her. Still she faltered. Memories of Inuyasha assuming the position tormented her mind's eye so strongly that the youkai peeked over his shoulder, curious to see what now kept her.

" _Hn_. I will not drop you, _Kagome_."

His tone was like velvet.

He spoke her name with such satiny silkiness her cheeks burned red. "Right," she uttered too quickly and with regret. Feeling as though her reply lacked context.

She moseyed towards him. Placing her hands on his shoulders with care to avoid his armor. In one motion, she straddle his back as he looped his claws under her thighs, securing her lower body with a hitch that nearly sent her tumbling over.

"I don't think this is going to work," she said righting herself by fisting the collar of his robes. "These spikes are in the way."

"Lean onto my right shoulder and wrap your arm around my neck," he instructed. "Grab what you can with your left."

"Okay, so you're saying I should wrap my arm around your…neck—"

"Miko."

"Right," she jittered.

Her shaky arm wrapped itself around his neck and in response his mokomoko slithered down to her other, giving Kagome something else to hold onto. "Okay, I'm rea-deeee!"

He offered no warning as he sprang into the air.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"Ryukasai-sama is greatly displeased with you, Yutan."

Yutan scoffed. A knowing grin fanned across his face. He had his reasons for splitting from the group assigned to the western border, selfish, but worthy reasons nonetheless. Sure that his king would understand and see the value in his subjects for taking the initiative.

"Why do you smile? Do you not understand the severity of his ire? Already there are rumors of him wanting your head."

"Mind yours, Rai," Yutan dismissed with a flick of his reptilian hand.

She sighed. "Fine. He awaits."

Their claw-steps rapped and echoed down the corridor, distorted and hazy due to the intense heat, and approaching ever closer to Ryukasai's chamber. The castle's décor bordered on apocalyptic, its brimstone structure complimented by magma that flowed intricately through highways carved into the walls, which in return lit up the castle with an eerie fire-orange hue. Rai struggled to control the nervousness that ebbed from her in waves. Worry she felt for Yutan. Especially these days. She didn't consider him a friend per say, rather a brother in servitude, and naturally some degree of comradery came with that.

Ryukasai grows more powerful with each day, the change becoming more obvious every time he beckons. What information could withdraw the desire for his head? No doubt it would have to be profound because nothing short of a miracle would influence otherwise.

Yutan pulled the heavy door open and entered his master's room with confidence as an anxious Rai followed. His toothy smile disappeared. Immediately he understood the fear that radiated from his escort, his own dread now swirling and intermingling with hers.

It sat upon his shoulders writhing and quivering with power. Incandescent blue seeped from behind resting lids, watching without seeing and dominating his laughably feeble youki from its dormant state. He slammed his forehead to the floor, bowing in terror in front his lord with unquestionable submission and shuddering unconsciously.

"Leave us, Rai," the master ordered. The command was music to her ears. She snatched the door shut on her way out, leaving Yutan to answer to the alpha.

Donning a particularly lavish red kimono with shimmering cranes embroidered on the cloth, Ryukasai rose from his throne and ambled towards his groveling inferior. His hair, glossy and lengthy, flowed freely alongside his temples, resting on his shoulders; the remaining sat atop his perfect human head, gathered in a bun, and held in place by a gold dragon shaped ornament. In the middle of his forehead, a symbol, a dancing flame which tended to gleam in the subtlest of light. All of his person appeared to be human—save for the claws that replaced fingernails.

He wore a chilling, inappropriate grin, ever delighted and beaming it at his subject.

"Yutan…how you disappoint me," he crooned.

"M'lord, I—"

"Shut your muzzle," Ryukasai interrupted, "The party assigned to the Western lands told me you abandoned them, is this true?"

"It is," Yutan replied speaking to the floor.

"Raise your head," he practically sang and holding up his lethal hands, "I want to stare into your eyes as I squeeze the life out of you."

"M-master—"

"Although," he wondered out loud, tapping his cheek with a pointed digit, "I'd love to hear what was worth betraying me for." A serpentine head jerked up, eyes as wide as silted pupils could allow in the lambently lit chamber.

"Betray you, Ryukasai-sama? I'd rather die," Yutan proclaimed, righting himself to his knees. "M'lord, I saw an opportunity to acquire valuable information about the Western ruler."

Ryukasai's face brightened with pure glee, "Yutan, are you saying I don't have to drive my hand into your skull and pull out its contents?"

The dragon flinched at the sensation of his stomach lurching. "Aye, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"Wonderful! Sim-ply won-der-ful!" He tuned, walking over to his writing table to retrieve a scroll, the scroll that Rai had delivered while Yutan was still at large. Ryukasai threw it and gestured at the lizard, willing him to stand. The retainer dipped his head and stood, unrolling the scroll and quickly going over the brief summaries of each kingdom. He frowned as he read over the 'known' details of his assigned land.

"I cannot speak for what is written about the Eastern and Southern regions, but I assure you, Ryukasai-sama, what is written about the West is incorrect."

"Hmm? What makes you so sure?"

"Because I battled with the hanyou, Inuyasha, and he is not the ruler of the West. He told me himself that his _half-brother_ is the rightful heir."

Ryukasai's face contorted, easing from skeptical to astonishment and then finally settling on excitement. "My darling, Yutan, do you realize what you have done?"

It was a miracle.

His subject, once cowering and close to begging for his life now stood tall and confident again—in the most respectful way that he muster, of course. "What have I done, M'lord?" His self-satisfied voice was raspy and guttural—a stark contrast to the grandiloquent smoothness of Ryukasai's.

"You've managed to salvage your own life."

"I am forever grateful for the opportunity." He replied with another bow.

"His name. What is the name of the true heir?"

"Sesshomaru."


	12. Wanting

**Holy crap. 200 followers? 90 favorites? You guys are truly amazing. Thank you so much. It gives me motivation to write.**

 **Gah! I enjoyed writing this so much. I know I say that about many chapters, but I really mean it this time. The next chapter is going to require a bit of research to make it sound convincing and I'll have to tweak the dialogue some more. I really hope you guys enjoy the OC character I'm attempting to introduce.**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

His scent had a masculine crispness to it, refreshing and invigorating, pleasant like a rain shower in late spring and with a hint of pine. She couldn't put her finger on any one smell, it had reminded her of many things, and she amusedly entertained the idea of bottling and selling his likeness in a department store, debuting her product with a name like 'Raging Waterfall,' or something else incredibly cheesy and hyper-male.

With her arms wrapped around the youkai's dependable neck, she continued to do as he had ordered—hold on for dear life.

Sesshomaru glided through the chilled air at a dizzying pace, his hair lashing at and stinging her now rosy cheeks, and not once showing discomfort nor irritation when her nails embedded themselves into his heated skin. Funny, she couldn't recall his brother's skin feeling as warm, couldn't recall feeling the subtle flex of his muscles as they slid under his skin, and definitely couldn't recall enjoying a piggy back ride half as much.

As he casually scanned over land that would eventually lead to his own, Kagome noticed that his armor lacked points on his right side, unlike his left. _I can't believe I just realized this. Kind of ironic now that I think about it. Inuyasha cut off his left arm and he never bothered to flip the armor to the other side. Hmm…but that is his dominate arm though, and maybe he didn't want it hindered in any way…_

She prattled on in her head but soon grew tired of solving the mystery of his lop-sided armor, so she shifted her attention to the dull ache in her neck. They had to have been soaring for close to an hour, and from the looks of it they would be doing so for at least another two. It was an awfully long time to keep her head in one position and Kagome just wanted to rest it at that point.

But to fulfill that desire she would have to do something most could consider intimate. Would he mind?

She side-eyed him cautiously, expecting a reaction of some kind, like him glaring inquiringly in her direction. He didn't. So, Kagome tensely inched her chin closer until finally resting it on his shoulder; peeking over and nearly letting out a contented sigh as she settled. It was challenging to push how secure and how _right_ she felt on the back of the elder brother from her mind; spellbound how not once did he have to readjust his unwavering grip on her thighs. In fact, she did not believe he moved so much as a centimeter since first touching her, and she could just feel his claws, although blunted by her jeans, as they pricked her through her clothing. It was comforting, because she was positive he would never allow her shift in his grasp and fall. _It's like riding atop of a legendary mount—no wait, on the back of a demigod who would kill all who stood in his way. Now that's power…a girl could get used to this,_ she mused.

She certainly had never traveled so quickly, so _absurdly quic_ k, and on the back of a demon of this nature before. She found herself blinking longer than usual, the cold and brisk air induced tears that had dried before they traveled down her face; blurring what should have been a fantastic view. Although, there wasn't anything below that looked better than the demon she straddled— _a tolerable trade, preferred even_ , she thought looking at him. Where ever he was in the depth of his mind he was there, not once did he so much as glance at her, therefore Kagome took the opportunity to ogle him.

And did she ever ogle.

The Miko never had the chance to inspect his markings this close and without the fear of Sesshomaru whipping his head around and breaking her concentration. For good measure, she confirmed his trance, his tendency to stare into nothingness before gawking at his lips; her own suddenly parting on their own. But that was what had caused her to briefly look ahead with embarrassment, as if he could see her imaginations and knowing that the visual of his lips pressing onto her's flashed into her mind.

Goodness what a thought. If that were to happen she was sure she would faint from it, it was that ridiculous.

Kagome glanced at him once more.

Sesshomaru would never kiss a human, she was certain of it, and she forcedly shoved the thought from her head. The guy was firmly in another tier of attractiveness, other worldly even, and most likely with other youkai who were probably just as handsome or beautiful. _I'm just regular old me,_ she thought with a small frown.

Damn.

She recalled comparing his face to Inuyasha's more than once, well, many times really, and she thought how amazing it was that he was objectively better looking as she bore a hole into the side of his angular jaw, then traveling longingly up his face. His eyes had a hunter, catesque quality to them, hooded and symmetric; brooding even when emotionless. _I bet you could grate cheese on those cheekbones of his. Just wow._ And how thrilling it was to look over his ears, ears that were nothing like a dog's, human's or even Inuyasha's, but quite literally like an elf's. She wanted to touch them, wanted to slowly trace her fingers over each dip and curve; and perhaps he would like it too, like Inuyasha. Oh, sure the hanyou proclaimed he was not fond of the sensation of her gently rolling her thumbs over the furry outer edge and shell, he said it 'felt weird,' but she knew it were a lie. He melted in her grasp all the same, only protesting when around others because he didn't want his likeness compared with that of a pet dog. She thought it was silly because he was half-dog at least, but then again maybe he tolerated it because she had enjoyed it so much. That was good reason enough and no argument was needed. But if he ever reconsidered, she could have swayed him. Hidden in the file cabinet that is her brain were folders stuffed with useless facts, and she was sure there was something about petting dogs and relieving stress packed into one of them.

Maybe Sesshomaru had a different opinion on the matter, maybe he would revel in the feeling of having his ears caressed. She had good reason to believe he were more in touch with his canine instincts anyway, being authentic and all. In any case, she was quite fond of her fingers, and even though they shivered with anticipation she intended to keep each and every one, so the she booted that fantasy from her mind as well. It was improbable, in this universe and in the next that he would let her stroke him, but at least there was consolation in something—getting to stare incessantly at a demon who happened to be unaware.

But Sesshomaru _was_ aware.

He felt her gaze the entire time; smelled her edginess and exhilaration from the instant she began soaking in his face. Sesshomaru was relieved, thankful even that she did not possess an enhanced nose, otherwise the Miko would have picked up on his own anxieties. _Why_ , he had wondered. _Why does she stare without speaking and for so long?_

He wanted to say something when Kagome gently placed her head near the crook of his neck. He wanted to ask her why she hesitated, why her usual scent transformed into angst, and dare he think it, _yearning_. And it was a daring hunch. Sesshomaru wasn't convinced he sensed her desire, it was preposterous honestly. More importantly he had no reference for what female ningen smelled like when they were awakened in that way. But what dismayed more than anything else was how swiftly his brain assumed its own conclusion, and all because he couldn't register it like fear, nervousness, lying and the usual human emotions he was familiar with.

His psyche had been merciless and ridiculing—taunting him with scenes of his erotic dream; playing in bits and pieces in his head. Its timing couldn't have been worse, occurring when the girl etched her eyes onto his skull.

 _Look away,_ he demanded silently.

She did not.

 _Please,_ he beseeched.

She moistened her lips.

 _Does she wish to ask me a question?_ He then pondered but still unable to turn his head and confirm it. Instead he visualized himself cutting through her clothing—admittedly one of his favorite parts in his dream. The youkai couldn't speak to her, couldn't look her in her large brown eyes because of fear. Fear that his wall would crack and reveal the disorder banging around in his head. _I should say something to her but I just…_ He imagined his voice failing with a crack, his face convulsing as it struggled to slip into its next contortion and his mouth hanging open dumbfoundedly. … _I can't._

And so, he didn't.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

It was late in the afternoon when Sesshomaru landed deep within his kingdom. The sky was streaked with shades of salmon and amber; dusk was approaching.

Kagome was disappointed that she didn't get a chance to see his castle, but she had an inkling it was because of his self-consciousness, not wanting to be seen carrying a human on his back and so close his royal home. She supposed it was rather degrading for him, but little did she know that was the furthest thing from his mind. What was on his mind however was locating a certain Inuyoukai who might be able to assist him in his time of uncertainty. Kagome's proposal about his blood originating from 'pet' dogs just rubbed him the wrong way, and it didn't matter that she took care to not offend him this morning either.

One would think a demon with the gift of flight would arrive exactly at his destination but Sesshomaru didn't. They still had a bit more walking to do. "So where are we going now? Aren't we here?" Kagome asked as she stood in place and taking in the surrounding forestry.

"No." He replied calmly, walking away from her and still towing her bag. Kagome sighed, and with a slump of her shoulders she caught up with him.

"You didn't answer my first question," she persisted.

"We are going to see my elder."

"Elder?"

"Yes. She educated this Sesshomaru as a pup."

Her face lit up with glee. This could be considered a milestone in their friendship, a testament to a change of heart, so to speak. "Your childhood teacher?" She inquired with sparkling eyes.

"More or less."

"And you think she'll have the answers you want?"

"It is not a guarantee, but the old Inuyoukai could be of some use."

"Old?" She said to herself. It was more like a statement than a question. "Don't mind me in your business or anything, but how old is she to have taught you…what, hundreds of years ago?"

Sesshomaru chuckled and turned to look at her. "I suppose she's over thirteen-thousand years old now."

"THIRTEEN-THOUSAND?" Her mouth hung open with disbelief. "You're kidding."

"I assure you, I do not kid."

She imagined the information one could retain—in various ways—if they walked the earth for thousands of years. It blew her mind and with her growing excitement she planned to ask the old demon all sorts of questions. "What's the longest you guys can live anyway?"

"I am not sure about that, it is assumed we are immortal." Sesshomaru was pleased with himself, he found her stunned expression endearing. "But she is the oldest living dog."

"Hey, if you guys can live forever how come she's the oldest one?"

"We are a violent bunch." His blasé reply was as shocking as his answer.

"You don't say?" She voiced with unease and then changed the subject. "So why are we all the way out here? If she were good enough to teach you then shouldn't she be in the palace or something?"

He shrugged. "I imagine she grew tired of the partisan politics that comes with royalty. I'm a fraction of her age and I grew tired of it long before you were born."

"Ah, well I—"

Sesshomaru held up his hand and came to an abrupt halt.

"Stop talking." If she weren't so jumbled she wouldn't have shrugged off his impoliteness so easily, but all she could see in front and around her was undisturbed land. The prince, however, had his eyes locked on something.

"Um…" She started to say eyeing the trees around her.

"Hold your tongue," he rumbled with little patience. "She is aware of our presence."

Kagome did as ordered and gazed in the same direction as Sesshomaru, switching between his face and a tree he was seemingly engrossed with. That's when she felt it—a receding tide of demonic aura that ebbed at her feet. And now the tree the pair had been staring at twisted and warped, gleaming with a sickly green light until at last revealing a door that was settled in the base. It was a concealment spell, an impressive one to say to least. Sesshomaru knew where his sensei lived because he knew everything about his territory, but if she ever decided to move—which was unlikely since she had lived under this tree since his father was a pup—it would require some serious digging to find her again.

The girl snapped her head at Sesshomaru with purpose, she wanted him to notice her glaring so she could ask him just what the hell was going on. But she wasn't sure if it was an opportune time to speak—and it wasn't. He glimpsed at her and immediately shook his head, commanding with his eyes: _Do not speak._

A final thrum of energy surged and Sesshomaru stepped forward, gesturing her to follow with a tilt of his head. As she sauntered behind the youkai—and into the den of another—she was surprised that stairs were the first thing to greet her. She climbed down them, following Sesshomaru and noticed the warm glow of a fire seeping from a covered doorway at the bottom. She wondered how that worked, burning a fire underneath a tree, and maybe that the demon had some kind of crude ventilation system that allowed adequate airflow. Kagome still lingered near the end of the stairs when her escort entered first.

A rasping voice boomed.

"Why…if it isn't the brat!"

She walked through the doorway and saw a very irritated looking Sesshomaru standing in front of a leathery looking Inuyoukai. The old one's eyes, although amber as well, were dull and they widened upon shifting to her.

"And with his mate!" She assumed with pursed lips.

Sesshomaru nearly fell over.


	13. Overdue Check Up

**Chapter 12 received more reviews compared to any given update ever! Thank you guys and gals.**

 **I will let you in on a little secret. The elder is greatly based on my late grandmother. Don't feel sad, she wouldn't have wanted you to be. She was a sassy old woman who found humor in most things and certainly didn't take any lip from anyone under the age of 40 HAHA. I mean, I was 23 when she passed and I couldn't even say "damn" around the woman.**

 **Anyway, this chapter went on longer than I expected (my mind honestly just ran with this one) before I attempted to add details about Sesshomaru's history, so I decided to save that for chapter 14 so I can iron out some kinks and make it more believable.**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"What?!" Sesshomaru barked. He sounded uncharacteristically bothered.

The old one's assumption walloped the allegedly mated pair upside their heads. He swayed for a moment and then quickly straightened his frayed posture but not his slighted face, it stayed the same—pissed off—and he hardly noticed that Kagome stumbled as she took another step into the demon's den. But her nearly falling onto her mug was of little concern, he cleared the air, choosing to correct his eccentric elder instead.

"She is not _this_ Sesshomaru's _mate_ ," He informed with a cross of his arms. The old one did not acknowledge the rectification of his bond to the girl, but she did store his defensive posing elsewhere in her head and decided to address his incriminating body language later. In its place, she ignored him and gave Kagome her full attention with a welcoming smile.

"Well, don't just dally by the door, dearie," The elder kindly voiced to a stupefied Kagome, "Give us a look." The Miko strode into the sanctum and stood alongside an equally stunned Sesshomaru. She marveled at the demon's exquisite amethyst tinted clothing, the same as the room's décor and then eyed the hand-crafted—or claw-crafted—furnishings before she bowed at the seasoned youkai. "So polite. And who might you be?"

The elder may have looked weathered in body, worn canines and all, but her life force was undeniable. She intrigued the Miko. She noticed the resemblances between Sesshomaru and her, similarities like clawed fingertips, platinum-white hair, borderline translucent skin and magenta stripes on their cheekbones—to which she assumed she had on her wrists as well.

"I'm Kagome, it's nice to meet you, Senpai. I'm sorry, Sesshomaru never told me your name?'

"They call me Ishiyaya. And pay no mind to Sesshomaru-kun here." She motioned and dismissively fanned her stiff, blunted nails at the now mortified looking heir. "Finishing school is free for the crowned heads…" Her words trailed off as she pinned a disapproving glare on the prince and wondered why he did not tell her name. "…and yet _here we are_ with a poor return on our investment." Ishiyaya concluded with good-natured disdain.

Pause.

 _Hold on. Time out._ "Sesshomaru… _kun_?" Kagome hesitantly repeated with pure jollity in her eyes. Not once had she heard someone refer to the lord in such an off-the-cuff way. But then again, how ill-fitting it would be for a demon as old and wise as Ishiyaya to refer to him in any other fashion. She wouldn't dare, no matter how it amused her. Sesshomaru's array of intertwining expressions caught her attention and she was sure he worked facial muscles that haven't moved in years. _This is going to be good,_ she thought holding in a snigger.

"The unmitigated gall," He spat, "I am no longer a child or your student, o _ld one_ ," He emphasized to get her attention, "Refer to me as Sesshomaru-sa—"

Ishiyaya pulled a hoot from deep within her chest. "Ha! Pup, I'm going to have stop you right there." She pointed a digit at him. "You are two-thousand years too young to be my Sama." Sesshomaru could hardly fathom her audacity as his shoulders drooped along with his mouth. His entire body seemed to dangle in the air, like a marionette with a novice puppeteer on the other end of its strings. But what closed his hanging jaw was the sound of girlish sniggling, and he promptly looked at the human with everlasting contempt burning in his orbs. Kagome had lost her battle with keeping her laughing to herself. She snorted and turned to look elsewhere to hide her face from the sore Daiyoukai. "What are you now, four-hundred?"

"I am five-hundred _**AND**_ four," He scoffed with incredible offense, amending her error. His salty outburst sounded like it bordered somewhere amid a great wrongdoing and a fit, much like a child arguing the very important distinction between being nine and ten years old; to hell with any adults who thought otherwise.

"A pup all the same," Ishiyaya replied offhandedly and then grinned at him, "I can still smell the milk on your breath."

"Pfft! Aha!" Kagome did not hold back. She used one arm to support her weight on one knee as the other wrapped itself around her stomach.

"Dearie—Kagome, you are charming, just charming!" Ishiyaya bayed and then shared a cackle with her.

That yanked a snarl from Sesshomaru—enough was enough, the disrespect was too much to bare and in front of a ningen to boot. He stepped to her and his fangs peeked from under his top lip.

"Ishiyaya." He hissed.

But old one didn't flinch, instead she quirked a brow, almost as if she remembered something and now was her chance. She inched to him and seized his face, her thumb-claws rested on the corners of his mouth as she forcedly inclined his head and peered inside.

"It's been so long since I've last seen this brat, dearie, let me tell you." She talked through Sesshomaru and casually spoke to Kagome as if she'd known her for years. "Since he's baring his fangs, I should get a good look and judge his father's engineering. Tehe! And finally update my archives while I'm in _here_." She gestured by tilting her head at his mouth that she still held ajar.

"In…there. His mouth?" Kagome was deliriously entertained as she watched the hilarity unfold in front of her.

Sesshomaru emitted a whine only demon ears could detect and in response his teacher jerked his up a little further.

"Yes, Kagome. He's far overdue and we must track the development of all heirs to throne…for historical records, of course."

Ishiyaya carried on with the conversation as if she were speaking with a long-known neighbor while watering her roses, as if she were not inspecting the dentition one of the most powerful youkai in all of Japan.

"When I am finished with His Highness here we can have a little chit-chat, dearie." And with a flick of her wrist an ancient looking manuscript slid from off a shelf and floated through the air; it hovered at her side as a well of ink and a feathered pen soon followed. The book crinkled and opened with a parched scrunch and the pen assumed its writing position.

"Now then, let's see…." She mumbled to herself while drawing his top lip back to his gums and looking over his hardware. At that point Sesshomaru gave up. He had avoided her scrutiny and probing for hundreds of years, hoping that she would have overlooked his 'appointment'—like she had forgot his true age, but the old gal had a frustratingly selective memory. He only wished that Kagome didn't have to see this. There was no way she would tolerate him ordering her to wait outside, not when she took a liking to her.

 _I want to die_ , he mutely despaired.

"…lengthy canines…teeth align perfectly and…" Using her thumbs, she heedlessly strummed his fangs like she was tuning a homicidal guitar; Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and then closed them. "…robust and sharp…" The pen scrawled, moving on its own, jotting down her barely legible determinations as she leveled her hands along his jawline and stopped at the hinge of his mandible. "…with faultless conformation." She then spread four fingers on each side of his skull, applying pressure and amusedly glanced at a fascinated looking Kagome. "Be a sweetheart, Sesshomaru-kun and clench your jaw several times for me." He aversely complied and Ishiyaya nodded in approval as she fondled his temporalis, and then briefly ironed her hands over his forehead.

"Remarkable! What impressive jaw strength." The elder praised as the feather dipped itself into the well and continued to transcribe.

"I am angry." He enlightened frostily and straight-faced.

She completed her inspection of his cranium with a solid tug of his nasal bone, juddering him from side to side before he finally snapped and snatched his person from her grasp with a sweltering scowl.

"Are you finished?" He asked edgily and then momentarily looking at Kagome with misery reflecting in his golden eyes. She offered no reply. What could she say? She wanted to ask Ishiyaya more questions about Sesshomaru's physical but decided against it. His senpai looked to be losing her patience with the prince and she didn't want to meddle and further invoke his anger.

"Now look here, brat," She retorted with a yank of his hair. It brought his wrathful face closer to hers again. "Be still and let me finish!"

Next, she placed her hands on his neck, trailing down his shoulders and squeezing his forearms and wrists. He crossed his arms as she grabbed at his waist and rocked him to and fro, assessing his pelvic sturdiness as well as its bearing before giving his thigh a concluding thwap.

"Hmph!" Ishiyaya grunted, and with a snap of her fingers she compelled the enchanted book to roost on one hand. The pages turned without her doing and she studied her notes while she rubbed her wrinkled chin with her other hand. Suddenly the book slammed on its own accord and hurriedly returned to its place on the shelf. Again, her aged eyes were on Sesshomaru. Most would think her examination would now be complete, but one closing touch was missing. She took ahold of his mokomoko and dramatically swung it around his neck and shoulders, as if to bundle him in a fur scarf and leaving only his nose and above visible. He stood there dumbfounded as she took a small step back to observe her work. "Yes…yes," She murmured and lazily picked and smoothed at his clothing before taking a final step back. "You look blessed." She said with a fanged grin.

Kagome laughed out loud again. This old dog was going to be the death of her.

"As expected, the royal family has produced an unflawed successor. Maybe even exceeding my expectations."

Sesshomaru returned his pelt to its normal resting place and then held his head higher with conceit.

"Senpai," Kagome delicately intruded. "When you say he exceeded your expectations, what do you mean?"

"Oh? You don't know? No matter, I'll enlighten you. See, Sesshomaru was the first heir to be guaranteed Daiyoukai status from his conception in nearly five-thousand years. Great dogs are almost always male, so that means that they normally take commoner female Inuyoukai, demonesses like myself, as mates."

"Commoner dog demons? Aren't you all great dogs?" Kagome asked with confusion.

Sesshomaru snorted.

"Heavens no, Kagome." Ishiyaya answered with a chuckle. "If we all were there would be none left as we would have killed each other fighting for power."

"We squabble amongst ourselves enough as it is." Sesshomaru added.

The elder nodded in agreement. "Only the royals, those who bear the mark…" She started to explain as she reached up and moved aside some of Sesshomaru's bangs, fully revealing his alpha symbol. "…the crescent moon, are high ranking." The newly inquired information left Kagome transfixed, and only then did she realize the old dog just had stripes alongside her cheeks and not the symbol.

Ishiyaya continued.

"When a Daiyoukai mates with normal youkai there is a fifty percent chance that a strong heir will be born. And because only ten percent of great dogs are born female, Sesshomaru's parents had caused quite the hysteria throughout the Western Lands."

"Hysteria?"

"Yes, exactly that. You see, Her Majesty, his queen mother is a rare Daiyoukai, therefore whatever she pupped with his sire was guaranteed to be great."

"This all seems so complicated," Kagome admitted.

"Perhaps one should stop sharing my family's breeding practices." Sesshomaru warned Ishiyaya.

"Whelp, perhaps you—" The words hung in Ishiyaya's throat upon recognizing. She did forget something, something the talk of his greatness had roused. Gradually, her face slipped into something more serious and Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her. Kagome watched curiously, suspecting that this was simply another demon quirk she did not understand.

"Don't hold back, Sesshomaru-kun. Flare your demonic power."

Kagome gasped as his stifling youki blanketed the room with a despotic aura so substantial, so inconsolably ghastly that she involuntarily shuffled away from him as his crimson eyes percolated and his markings grew jagged. She thought she knew what dread was, thought she knew fear—like the dismay she felt when he flared his power a few days ago when she tried to leave one night.

But this horror was unparalleled.

This was not something humans were meant to feel, not meant to witness at a close range. It was awful. She swallowed hard as his pupils dissipated, taken over by a screening red afterglow as his jaw unhinged with a crack and elongated, scarcely revealing his true form that manifested beneath the surface. She almost backpedaled out of the room with a scream when he mechanically pivoted his head in her direction with uncanny stability. Sesshomaru took solace in her reaction, it delighted him, and the spastic leer that spread across his distorted face confirmed that. Her terror communicated to his fiendish nature, his youkai disposition and he found great satisfaction in it, considering it to be karma for her laughing at his humiliation.

Ishiyaya's rebuking hand smacked him on the back of the head. "That's enough you spiteful brat! Can't you see that you are frightening Kagome?"

A contented thrum vibrated in his throat. He liked her fear, even reveled in it. It meant that she respected him on a subconscious level. As his face spasmed and regressed to its human-like state with a stomach-turning crunch, Kagome couldn't stand to look anymore. She shut her eyes and shook her head as amber slowly overtook the red in his eyes.

"I wanted to scare her, lest she forget what I am." He said distantly to no one.

Now it was Kagome's turn to be angry. She marched to Sesshomaru and firmly poked him with her finger as she yelled. "I haven't forgotten what you are, you…you psychotic jerk!" The more she jabbed him the deeper he growled.

"Oh, this simply cannot be." Ishiyaya forewarned with delight.

"Eh?" Kagome uttered.

"Dearie, we must have tea if you're going to tell me what the word 'jerk' means."


	14. Scandalous Dogs

**This chapter, whew. I can't tell you how many times I edited it, not satisfied with how it turned out, but now I think I got it flowing in the direction I wanted it to go. I mentioned something about a bombshell being revealed back in chapter 10. Well, chapter 14 finally shows what it is.**

 **One thing about this chapter that made it a challenge to write was incorporating a believable explanation about Inuyoukai history. And I found that this chapter originally went on for 15 pages and I just had to cut it in half. A 7,000-word chapter is too lengthy (in my opinion) and harder to edit. Please don't kill me, but the nitty gritty of Sesshomaru's history will have to wait until chapter 15.**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"Now is not the time for tea," Sesshomaru gritted through his teeth and then returned his heated glare back down at Kagome, her own comparably fiery as she looked up at him.

"Nonsense!" She vocalized with a thunderous clap, a clap that had triggered two chairs to stir from their corners and slide across the room, crashing into the back of both Sesshomaru's and Kagome's knees—which involuntarily compelled them to fall back and sit. "There's always time for tea," the elder merrily intoned as she marched to another room to fetch refreshments. Sesshomaru immediately stood, defiant as ever and much to the displeasure of Ishiyaya, but she didn't turn around, she came to a halt; her tone was firm and heavy with threat. " _We are having tea_."

He promptly sat back down.

When she disappeared into the next room he crossed his arms and brooded silently, frustrated that it was going to be a while before he got a chance to fulfill his purpose of being there the first place, and knowing that no matter how much he protested the old one would not be rushed. He allowed his embarrassment and anger to consume his thoughts while Kagome overlapped one leg over the other and bobbed her foot anxiously. Sesshomaru ignored her hostile silhouette via his peripheral vision as he looked toward the doorway, fixed on the stairs.

 _I'm so angry…I could forge one-thousand more of those stairs,_ he thought.

He truly felt that the examination he had to endure was a minor inconvenience compared to Ishiyaya talking down at him, something that was _just barely_ tolerated since she normally only did so around a select few, like family and other trusted members in his pack. He did understand—though it aggravated him—Kagome's appeal to her, but he couldn't wrap his mind around Ishiyaya being so familiar with the girl so quickly, and after not seeing him for nearly one-hundred years. Like it was a customary practice for him to have led a human into her private quarters without warning, and it was no trouble at all, with no extensive vetting necessary to reveal secret aspects of demon politics and society, such as his planned birth and the likelihood of premeditated greatness coming to fruition.

But for some inexplicable reason, in the midst of his wrath and shame, he harked back to the instances when Kagome had criticized his character. Some of the wording had been unusual, but he was confident he understood their meaning as her disembodied voice echoed in his mind.

'… _psychotic jerk!'_

' _You're such a jerk!'_

' _What is a jerk?'_ He recalled himself asking her.

' _You.'_ She had replied.

' _You're really hard to talk to.'_

'… _mysterious…kind of secretive...'_

'… _not how friends interact with one another.'_

He was aware that he lacked some degree of social intelligence and how it prevented him from developing lasting friendships. That's why he had been adamant about their arrangement some days ago, he was curious about the value of friendship, but now he had second thoughts. Yes, Kagome was to teach him the ins and outs of comradery, things that didn't relate to spilling a common enemy's blood, but he never suspected that friendship encouraged the act of sharing personal details, often pointless—at least to him—with another being. He didn't linger around his brother's group often enough to confirm if it were necessary anyway. There were many things about their budding relationship that left him feeling discombobulated, and already he loathed his lack of suitable retorts when reaching the brink of his social knowledge. It was easier to keep her at a psychological arm's length, easier to display his anger—not his repressed unease—as opposed to sharing specifics about his life. He could deal with the girl's fury and fear, emotions she had shown him the very moment he popped out of the well.

Kagome was certainly the source of his angst, her and her weird behavior and bewildering scents. Briefly, he looked around the dwelling, scanning the sea of books that lined the walls and wondering if Ishiyaya had any about humans. He quickly dismissed the idea.

Although…

Sesshomaru did consider that perhaps it was unrealistic to assume he could forever distract her with well-placed provocation, ignoring the elephant in the forest and having little to say when the girl voiced details about herself, her family, her entire futuristic world even. He didn't wish for her to see much about himself besides the undeniable respect others gave him, well, all but her and Ishiyaya of course. Sesshomaru didn't know why he wanted Kagome to be impressed with his status and the incontestable rule that came along with it. It didn't seem to faze her much anyway, but he did notice that unless he unfairly influenced her dread she rarely wavered. No matter the intensity of his threats, no matter how he tried to reprimand her—within the confines of their touch-free agreement one might add—Kagome was sure to buck with insolence. And now something dawned on him, he liked that quality about her. A lifetime of addressing groveling idiots would bore most; Kagome was distinctly out of the ordinary, and not because she was a stranger in his time, but because from day one she voiced her desire to speak to him as if they were equals.

There was nothing left in the room for him to stare at with feigned interest, and by now he was considerably less angry, so his eyes swung to the girl. She still appeared to be somewhat upset, but like himself he could feel that she was calming down, another intriguing quality—quick to anger and quick to cool down.

Periodically, Kagome had stolen glances as they sat quietly, inquisitively watching Sesshomaru as he paced around the room in his head, sure that each time she looked he seemed less irritated. She peeked at him once more and swiftly looked away. His stare, while not threatening it did alarm her, his face was impassive and when she finally had enough courage to meet his eyes he did not break contact.

Her shoulders heaved with a sigh. "I don't get you at all sometimes." She admitted. His mouth hung open, as if to reply and unable to find the words.

"I—"

"Ah, here we are…I trust that you two will forgive the wait," The elder interrupted as her presence bursted back into the room, to which he huffed and took one long blink. As much as Kagome liked Ishiyaya she really wished she had lingered in the other room just a little longer, so she could have heard what Sesshomaru was going to say. "I had to ensure that this brew was safe for human consumption." A small table slid between her and the pair, she set the tray down and eased onto what could only be described as the master's chair. "Please, have some," she insisted, gesturing at the steaming cups.

"Thank you." Kagome said gratefully, taking one. The brew smelled lovely and Sesshomaru also followed her lead. Finally, the preparer grabbed a cup and took a small sip as she eyed the muted couple.

"Now then, since you two seem to be on friendly terms again, why don't you tell me why you came to see me, Sesshomaru-kun."

 _That's right,_ Kagome remembered _. Guess we got a little distracted._

"Because I doubt you came to have your teeth inspected and to share this exotic brew with me." Ishiyaya assumed with a chuckle.

"You are correct." Sesshomaru confirmed, taking a moment to pull a drink. "I am here to find out more about my lineage."

"Is that all?" The old one huffed as she summoned several logs to slip from her crammed shelves, they landed in a neat pile in front of him.

"I have reason to suspect the information I seek is not in any of your books, Ishiyaya." That got her attention. If it were one thing she took pride in it was her life's work, her obsession with collecting knowledge from various sources. And if by chance she did not have it written down and organized somewhere in her mass arrangement of manuscripts, her many years on earth could still be relied on.

"What is it that you are seeking?"

He fleetingly glanced at Kagome who conveniently sipped her drink and looked away, right now he was on his own. Besides, she felt that she didn't have anything of value to add just yet.

"I want to know how Inuyoukai came to exist and if humans had any involvement." His statement hushed the already quiet room. Ishiyaya looked between him and the girl as she took another drink and then leaned back into her chair.

"I see." Was all she said at first. "And tell me, what aroused this curiosity?"

He got right to the point. "Kagome claims that dogs only exist because they were crafted by man, and that dogs are the descendants of wolves who were tamed."

"Mhm."

"She believes our kind would not exist if it weren't for humans."

"Does she now?" Oddly enough, the Inuyoukai didn't sound surprised, and although it was faint, anxiety crept into Sesshomaru's chest. "Well, she is right about one thing, inu were once okami, but that raises the question, how do you know that? You are but a mortal girl, are you not?" She questioned looking at Kagome.

"I am, but I'm studying arch—I mean, I have read about it, and that fact is widely accepted throughout…uh my village."

"Uh…huh." The old youkai mumbled with suspicion. "Kagome, what kingdom are you from?"

Sesshomaru had started to taste his tea, but when he registered Ishiyaya's preposterous question he snatched the cup away from his lips with an exasperated judder.

"Kingdom?" Kagome asked totally perplexed.

"Yes, dearie. You are some kingdom's princess, right?"

 _For the love of the Gods, can we just_ _ **stay**_ _on task?_ He thought as he pulled an irritated sip _. Hmph! Nattering women. I'll have grown my second 'moko by the time they finish. *_

"Oh, goodness no. I guess you could say I'm an ordinary commoner like you."

"I could say that, if I wished be labeled a liar. Ordinary humans do not have studies. That is a privilege reserved for the royal families. And what of you, dearie? Why, compared to most ningen you look like you've been pampered, clean and well fed."

"I assure you my family is as common as they come, but let's just say my village is so prosperous that education and food are assessable to all."

"And just where is this well-to-do village of yours?" Ishiyaya asked with a quirked brow.

Kagome took her bottom lip between her teeth and glimpsed at Sesshomaru with concern. "It is your secret to tell." He said with a shrug.

The elder held up her hand. "A secret, is it? A secret I presume you have shared with our prince?" She coyly nodded. In response Ishiyaya rotated her wrist, palm upwards as her claws twirled to a fist, and in that instance the room palpitated with an unseen power, rousting the tea in their cups and the books on the shelves. The sensation only lasted for a few seconds. "If you wish to, speak freely my child, for this room is enchanted and nothing you shall voice will escape these walls or my lips. It is demon's promise."

She bowed. "Thank you, Ishiyaya-san but I'll have to warn you, it might be hard to believe."

"Go on, sweetheart."

"Okay, I'll try to keep this short for Sesshomaru's sake."

 _Mercy._ He soundlessly bantered.

"To the east the and on the outskirts of Inuyasha's forest, there's a magical well—its story, I'm not one-hundred percent sure, but what I know is that the residents in the nearby village used to toss the bodies of dead demons into it. I guess that's why it's enchanted. Anyway, about four years ago a demon pulled me into the well and it turned into some kind of portal to this time, over five-hundred years in the past, and ever since I've been traveling back and forth to your era, we call it the feudal era in my vill—city."

Ishiyaya expression went blank.

"Fate brought me here, well, maybe that and the scared jewel—"

The mature youkai sat up in her seat. "Did you say Shikon no tama?"

"Yeah. I didn't know it at the time, but I carried the jewel in my body, and when I first came here I was attacked by a demon who cut it out of me."

Ishiyaya looked to be thinking before she spoke. "I don't understand. Why did you have the jewel? From what I recall, Sesshomaru's half brother got involved with a human miko who was responsible for keeping it pure, and right before she died she pinned him to a tree and burned the jewel along with her body."

"Oh, I'm not disputing that. I was the one who broke Kikyo's spell, and boy was I glad that I did. Without him that youkai would have killed me. But yeah, I had the jewel because…apparently I'm the reincarnation of the late priestess Kikyo."

A pregnant pause.

Slowly the elder turned her shunned face to Sesshomaru. He had been listening with half-interest and more or less daydreaming, so her sudden notice caught him off guard. "What?" He asked.

"Oh, you are a _scandalous_ dog."

Now he was sure he missed something.

"I have caused no scandals." He denied monotonously.

She sneered at him. "Brat, you sure know how to pick them. And to think I once believed you were above things of that nature."

"What are you talking about?" He demanded and feeling very much confused.

"This is Inuyasha's mate." She said with a smirk. Kagome took her teacup to her head as if it were a shot glass. "Did you take her from your half-brother?" Now the girl's coughing filled the room.

"I didn't take her. We have an arrangement to—"

"Ha!" She tittered, "Your father fell for a ningen princess and you _know_ the trouble that caused, but you, _you_ decided to one-up him by stealing your brother's miko. A miko!"

A vein twitched near his temple, and despite his discomfort and aggravation he still had his pride to protect. His voice was saturated with conceit. "As if I would have to resort to stealing. She came with me on her own free will."

 _Weeeell, that's half of the truth._ Kagome thought and dared not to intrude.

"I suppose you have your reasons for sticking with that story, I won't press the issue any further, but tell me, where is your brother now?"

"Last I heard, he and his lot were making their way north to slay a dragon youkai."

Oh, how he longed to jump out of his body and leave it propped against the chair. He knew answering her last question was sure to incite her outlandish assertion. Never had he felt so self-conscious that it nearly overwhelmed his fury. He also wondered why Kagome didn't try to intercept Ishiyaya. If the demon didn't know any better she seemed to be enjoying their exchange, Kagome just sat there with an oblivious, yet pleasant look on her face.

"How favorable for you then," She snarked "I'm willing to wager Inuyasha isn't aware of…what was it that you had said? An arrangement?"

"Yes."

"What kind of arrangement?" Ishiyaya then asked.

"We—"

Kagome cut him off. "—are friends. That's the 'arrangement.' Nothing more, nothing less."

 _Now she speaks._ Sesshomaru said to himself.

The elder was unconvinced. More importantly she was entertained and believed that the young-bloods who sat in front of her were subconsciously yanking her chain, feigning ignorance as they took turns eye-fucking each other, and all while sharing scents. Especially Sesshomaru, the idiot, his pelt may have as well been the girl's, it smelled of her anyway. He underestimated the old dog, like she was born last century and couldn't put two and two together. There was more to their so-called friendship.

Ah, but Ishiyaya knew it was not her place to interfere in that way, it wouldn't have been necessary, the spark was already there, and it didn't matter if they had yet to realize it. Not to mention his tolerance for the girl would have been more shocking if she weren't expecting it. After all his father had started the chain reaction and got the pendulum swinging when he courted his human lover some two-hundred and fifty years ago. That had been foreseen by the last highborn over five-thousand years ago, an Inu-Daiyoukai of similar circumstances, guaranteed to be an heir at his birth.

That demon was Sesshomaru's grandfather.

But that's not to say Sesshomaru's grandpappy predicted that his son would bed a ningen and produce a hanyou, he just knew that the two species would eventually find each other again.

But society was not ready for Inu no Taisho and Izayoi…

The last highborn was the same great dog demon who entrusted her to be the vessel to their lost history, but only if an heir so dared; only if their curiosity could be piqued just so, and only if their indoctrinated prejudice could come undone.

Was Sesshomaru that heir?

"And besides, Inuyasha isn't even my boyfriend," Kagome insisted in defense her new friendship. Sesshomaru nearly let out a snarl. He could take this no longer.

"I did not come here to discuss that worthless mongrel." He spat at the Miko. "His existence is torture enough as it is, and I would prefer to forget my family's one mistake."

Ishiyaya's throaty chortling seized their attention.

"I fail to see what's so amusing," Sesshomaru told her.

Still she chuckled, leaning back into her chair and wearing a discerning grin. "I have waited so long to say this to another being." Her behavior was a tad strange and she spoke as if she were vaguely there, like she was far away in her mind reminiscing something.

"You have waited?" He inquired with impatience.

She turned to look at him. "Your brother was not the only Inuhanyou to have existed."

"What?!" They both said with disbelief.

And now her tone was grave. "Sesshomaru. I do not know how we came be, but I do know how I can relay the information you so desire."

"Are you saying that my father was some deviant who sired other half-breeds?"

"I've said nothing of the sort. It was not your father, rather other relatives."

He struggled to fathom her words. Sesshomaru knew the family's record, he had seen the logs, and he was sure that he didn't see anything about other rulers siring or birthing other half-breeds. Everyone knew of his father's escapades, so how could something like this be kept secret? Ishiyaya was not a liar, she had no reason to deceive him and no motive to tarnish the kingdom's name, but why? Why was he taught to believe his blood, his family was pure until recently?

"You say you do not know how we came to exist but know how to find out. That makes no sense to me. Why have you sat on your hands for this long?"

"Because only the blood of the rulers can reveal the truth." She said matter of factly.

"Gah! If I knew I would not be here."

"You misunderstand, Sesshomaru. The blood of the alpha knows without knowing. The truth…" She calmly informed as she took his wrist and turned up his palm, "…the answers you seek courses through your veins." He had no verbal response; in place of words his mouth grew slack as he began pant shallowly. "Are you ready?"

His numbness would not let him speak.

"Great dog!" She snapped, breaking his state of unconsciousness, for he truly did leave reality in that moment. " _Are you ready_?"

"Yes."

"Very well." Ishiyaya released his wrist and stood. "Come with me.

* * *

*On Sesshomaru's fur: In the anime, both his mother and father had two mokomoko's draped on their shoulders. Although it's probably not true, it's fun to assume that once he reaches a certain age he'll also grow another.


	15. Pedigree (Part 1)

**I know it's been a terribly long time since I last updated this story. Let's just say life happened and I had to put writing on the back burner. Still, with each passing month I jotted down little notes about the direction of this chapter, and after five months I finally jumbled those thoughts together. As I was writing it I decided that I wanted to go deeper than I originally planned to, and doing so would have made this an uber chapter length wise. So I decided to cut it in half to better edit chapter 16.**

 **I have never read a story that attempted to explain Sesshomaru's origin in this way, and I enjoyed writing it. I hope you'll enjoy reading it.**

 **0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Dearie, you come along, seeing that you inspired all of this."

With a nod Kagome trailed behind Ishiyaya and Sesshomaru as they walked deeper into her abode. As the demons strode with purpose, the girl meandered, taking in a minimalist style kitchen that housed a blackened fire pit, and where a countertop would have been in her time a slab of smoothed stone took its place. Connected to the kitchen was a doorway with its frame adorned with silken ropes. Gently, the elder pushed them aside and walked through, stopping only to hold the ropes in place to invite the couple inside.

When they crossed the threshold a virtually bare chamber greeted them. A small black cast-iron caldron sat in the middle of the room. It was filled to the brim with a curious liquid substance. Actually, upon further inspection Kagome wasn't sure if it were a liquid at all. She thought it smelled sort of earthy and metallic. _Nevermind that,_ she thought. In the scheme of things that wasn't nearly as important. She fully understood the gravity of what she was about to hear or perhaps witness.

A first of her kind.

A human who was let into the heart of the Great dog's kingdom, welcomed into the home of another, and now sitting before a mysterious pot and eagerly waiting to hear the secrets of the west. Her mind was a whirlwind of wonder as she recalled what Ishiyaya had said about there being other half dog demons. Like Sesshomaru she assumed Inuyasha was the only one as well. She knew whatever information she was going to find out today could never be shared without the ruler's consent. And knowing him she suspected that he would never want those secrets to become public knowledge.

Ishiyaya issued a final warning.

"It is not too late to change your mind about the human, Sesshomaru."

Kagome turned to look at him, silently pleading and hoping he wouldn't give her the boot. Not now. Not when she was on the brink of discovering his secrets.

"The ningen stays." He said automatically.

"Very well." Ishiyaya replied.

The prince and the miko sat on the floor around the caldron as the elder lingered at the door. Sesshomaru was about to question why she dallied but soon realized that she was chanting something under her breath. Another concealment spell he assumed. This one more powerful than the last. It was to ensure that without a doubt only three souls would be enlightened that evening. Satisfied with her effort, Ishiyaya finally joined them on the floor.

"Give me your hand." The elder started. Sesshomaru extended his wrist to her and watched closely. Kagome watched even closer. Ishiyaya then directed his upturned arm over the caldron and placed her thumb claw between two of his magenta markings. She inched down his wrist until her dull digit rested at the narrow start of his stripes. Then she froze momentarily to scan over the anxious face of the young lord.

Paired with the silence, the elder's gripping stare unsettled him. He could feel the blunted prick of her claw threatening to break his skin with each passing moment. He fought the primal urge to self soothe through panting as he curiously watched his and her hand lower into the caldron.

Ishiyaya snappishly broke the silence with a tone so unyielding and commanding it made Kagome flinch. Her brows raised and lowered with each syllable, stressing her words.

"Great dog, hear my plea."

Immediately Sesshomaru stirred with a mechanical tick. His eyes began to pool with red, and with his subconscious now taking over, his frantic gaze shifted back and forth between the Miko and the elder. He felt his presence leaving his own mind and to say the least it was not a comfortable experience. But there was nothing he could do to resist. His periodic twitching let the common dog know her binding spell successfully kept his true canine form from bursting out and unearthing most of her home.

Ishiyaya then glanced at Kagome, curious to see what the girl's reaction would be to Sesshomaru's youki. While her expression was nothing short of shock, she did not move an inch even though she was experiencing the full brunt of the dog's disturbing power. This was a good thing, and Ishiyaya was relieved that she didn't have to explain the importance of remaining very still. Sudden movements would be at the girl's—and quite possibly the elder's—demise.

 _Oh my god,_ Kagome thought.

The Sesshomaru the Miko was familiar with was not in the room anymore. The elder had isolated the relatively more friendly Sesshomaru from his true form. Rarely did Ishiyaya have the chance to meet this side of the prince so she spoke carefully.

"Lend me your blood without harm." She calmly asked.

His abrupt glare almost pinned Ishiyaya to the floor. And now his eyes were engulfed with an eerie crimson glow that dissolved his pupils in its wake, but a smile spread across the old dog's face.

"You know who I am. It has been a while." She said. He then turned his head towards Kagome—who at the time could only manage to take in shallow breaths.

His features tweaked as if to reply.

"Kagome is your companion, she smells of you and you smell of her. Please, Great Dog, cause us no harm and lend me your blood." That time the elder spoke with a certain tenderness in her voice. To her delight Sesshomaru's aura steadily calmed as he took in the scents of her and the girl.

A long, deliberate blink gave the elder the consent she was waiting for, and without further hesitation she pricked his wrist and spilled his blood into the bottom of the caldron. Upon doing so his face relaxed and his lids were reduced to slits, scarcely allowing the luminous glow of his eyes to escape them. He slipped into a trance-like state and would therefore no longer respond to normal stimuli. In fact, he didn't respond to anything at all, not even when Ishiyaya called out to him.

It was time.

"Kagome." She startled the girl. "Reach into the caldron."

The Miko paused.

"Do not think. Just do as you are instructed and clear your mind of all thoughts. Close your eyes if it will aid you. Otherwise there would be no way for you to see what we are seeing."

 _Not able to see what you're seeing?_ Kagome could hardly fathom what Ishiyaya was implying. At best Kagome thought the unknown would be relayed verbally, but it appears as though what was dark would come to light _visually_ , projected from Sesshomaru and received through their minds. It was mind shattering concept to grasp. Such a thing was not even known in her time, not even with the all the amenities modern technology provided. The notion was thought to be nothing more than pure fantasy, only heard of in books of science fiction, seen in movies or adapted into video games.

She nodded and stuck her hand into the pot, unnerved that what she felt was a warm gel-like substance. A few moments felt like an eternity. No imagery overtook the tinted blackness of her closed eyelids and she started to dismay over it.

"Clear your mind, dearie."

Kagome exhaled and focused her thoughts on the task at hand. She thought of nothing, forcing the last inkling of doubt from her mind's eye.

It was at that moment images that were not her own flickered before her eyes.

 _It was night and the perspective was alien._

 _The environment appeared in a muted blue-green hue and the focus, while fuzzy on the outer edges, were clear in the middle. The world looked larger. Trees were rushing by. One could hear panting. Something was running. That something was plowing through the foliage and sprinting ever closer to the dim light source._

 _A man could be seen lazily stoking the fire._

 _The man heard the commotion of the approaching beast and was on his feet with his spear in hand in an instant, but he lowered his weapon when he saw what appeared out of the bushes._

" _Well done, Shiro." Was all he said._

That memory faded to black and revealed another.

 _A woman donned in a deerskin was using a stone to blend something together as she sat on the ground. Round and round she worked the dark substance until she was satisfied with the consistency. She called out to a man who was using the campfire to sharpen his spear. He took a moment to inspect her work and nodded, liking the quality._

" _Shiro." She called._

 _Shiro bounced up and down as he approached the woman. He was greeted with a few pats on the head before she grabbed the rope around his neck and lead him further into the settlement with the man. From what one could see the village looked rudimentary. Much more primitive than the structures found in the time of Inuyasha._

 _A crowd had gathered._

 _What looked to be the village head emerged from the group. He held the tibia bone of a canine in his hand. With it he dipped one end into the mixture the woman had made and faced Shiro. He held the bone high over his head as he spoke._

" _For the dog who so bravely faced three wolves and left nothing alive!"_

 _And with that said, the old man brought the bone to Shiro's head as the crowd cheered._

Like the earlier memory, that one ended with a fade to black. Kagome and Ishiyaya remained still with their eyes shut and waiting for the next. So, they didn't notice that Sesshomaru had started to twitch again.

 _Wolves._

 _On this cold night Shiro lead the attack by seizing the nearest wolf by its throat and thrashing about until it stopped moving. His pack consisted of what looked like capable dogs. One could count at least seven of them but through the eyes of Shiro it was difficult to be sure. Regardless, they were all large white guardian type dogs who wore crescent moons on their foreheads._

 _Together the dogs had throttled the wolves and then started to run towards a great glow in the night._

 _The village was burning to a chorus of screams, snarls and yelps._

 _The bodies of the young and old littered the ground. Some of those bodies were writhing and shrieking in agony, and one could hear the gut-wrenching tears of fangs separating flesh from bone. Shiro crashed into one like a freight train, and out of the corner of his eyes one could see the others quickly following suit._

 _A humanoid creature issuing commands to the okami caught his attention._

 _Shiro did not hesitate to attack, first by himself and then joined by the other dogs. Definitely stronger than any man, the demon managed to knock all but one of his attackers onto the dirt. Shiro had an unwavering grip on the youkai's neck and weakened it enough to allow the others to counter attack and eventually drag it down._

 _The high pitch screams of children could now be heard._

 _Blood blurred his vision but Shiro and his pack ran as fast as their legs could carry them to the sound of distress. When he arrived on the scene he saw several men using burning branches and spears to keep the wolves from reaching a group of children who were huddled together behind them. Instinctively, the dogs formed a circle around the human pups and fought off any wolf who dared to venture too close._

 _But the wolves were too numerous._

 _One man was wrestled to the ground and mauled to death, and then another. When the last man had his arm grabbed by the wolves he pleaded to the dogs._

" _Please…protect the childr—"_

 _A bite to the face followed by a sickening wet sounding crack silenced him. And now, from as far as Shiro could see there were no other masters nearby to aid him._

 _The dogs stood their ground._

 _One by one okami rushed to their deaths, unable to sway the larger guardians from their flock of children. Shiro fought with such ferocity that his movements were a blur of blood and fur, only targeting the most vulnerable areas of his opponents with uncanny efficiency. However, not all of his pack members were as skilled, and one could just make out the image of a white dog being mobbed by several dark canines._

 _How awful_ , Kagome thought with a grimace. _Those poor people. Please…Sesshomaru, somehow you have got to show us…the children. Please let them be okay._

Ishiyaya sat with a stone-faced expression. She was the only one who could hear Sesshomaru's low pitched whimpering.

 _The hushed cries of children._

 _In the distance people barely clung to life and could be heard emitting their final death croaks. Shiro licked the mouth of a shivering young girl, willing her to keep quiet and stay near lest she freeze to death. Most of his comrades were dead, a few others were in the process of dying, and judging by his lack of clarity Shiro could soon join them._

 _All around him laid the bodies of fallen wolves._

 _He blinked noticeably slower as he took a step and faltered. A dying pack member padded his fall as he struggled to right himself. He then turned to look at what betrayed him and saw his shattered hindlegs. With bone exposed and bleeding profusely he was in no position to fight anymore._

 _But Shiro heard the infamous melody of wolves howling in the near distance._

 _To walk had to have caused profound anguish. Yet Shiro did not whine, not so much as a whimper as he used his muzzle to encourage the children to bury themselves under the corpses of dead dogs. So long as they kept still the scent of blood and death could fool the oncoming wolves that nothing was left alive, and if any adults who survived the attack came searching come morning, the remaining warmth from the dogs would keep hypothermia at bay._

 _The moonlight illuminated the eyes of the approaching okami._

 _Shiro swayed as he turned to face them._

 _He lunged with reckless abandon and the memory faded to black._

Tears burned behind Kagome's eyelids. Never had she witnessed anything so wretched. And to know that this dog was an ancestor of Sesshomaru made her feel even sadder as the next memory came to light with an indescribable flash.

 _What vivid color._

 _Something sat amongst the clouds._

 _A small party of humans could be seen below._

 _It was on the move, running through the misty skies and never allowing the young girl out of its sight._

Another memory.

 _This individual must have been of immense size._

 _It looked down upon a fleeing teenaged girl who from that viewpoint looked more like a tiny doll who had became animated. It did not give chase. Instead a whine could be heard, and the being collapsed to the ground with a huff, whipping up a plume of dirt as it rested its head on its two massive white paws._

' _Why do they all flee?' A disembodied voice questioned. 'I want to be near them. I want to be near...her.'_

 _Suddenly the world tinted with red and the creature had closed its eyes._

 _When it opened them the perspective had changed. No longer did it peer over the treetops. No longer did it have huge paws. Instead what could now be seen were a set of pale hands, almost human if not for the clawed finger tips._

 _It took an unsteady step. Not yet accustomed to its new pair of legs, it carefully walked in the direction of the girl, seemingly admiring the newly acquired dexterity of its hands._


	16. Pedigree (Part 2)

**WE MUST GO DEEPER**

 **Let me tell you guys right now I'm having a blast running away with this origin concept. I'm more or less making logical assumptions based on plausible explanations and seeing what sticks. I even considered breaking down Sesshomaru's stripes but thought, nah, let's scrap that. Too much. But IDK, maybe two stripes representing two life lines could have worked? Eh...I just didn't know what to do with it. Not to mention only being able to use pretty much two senses, sight and hearing (the latter pushes it but this is fantasy so) while showing memories is somewhat tricky.**

 **But steady as she goes**

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

Amusement.

That's what Ishiyaya felt as she learned how their humanoid form came to be. She had many books that attempted to explain in depth why it were possible and why it occurred in the first place but none were remotely accurate it seems. If Sesshomaru weren't witnessing it with his own eyes-or mind-she would have never been able to convince him that it was all because this ancestor didn't wish to scare the humans, or more importantly a human girl.

 _A familiar young woman shrieked in the night._

" _Demon!"_

 _Her sudden wail startled what had been watching her to such an extent that it leaped, aiming for a tree branch overhead, but it miscalculated the jump and tore away ribbons of bark as it crashed back down to earth with a thud._

 _It was rather whimsical how the girl's stalker continued to gawk at her; everything was upside down as it laid on its back. The teenager attempted to scramble away but in her frenzied panic she tripped over an upturned root and not only dropped her makeshift torch she injured her foot as well. When the demon righted itself the girl tried to stand and flee but immediately hit the dirt again, hissing in pain._

 _Frustrated, she struck the ground with her fist and then swiftly turned around to face the lurching youkai._

" _Mercy, demon! M-m-mer-Gaah!" She stammered hysterically as the demon looked to be creeping closer, "Please spare my life!"_

 _It stopped._

 _A moment of silence followed her plea._

" _I would never harm you." A serene voice assured._

" _You're lying!" She spat while shaking dead leaves from her long black hair. "There is no such thing as a harmless demon."_

" _I have watched over you for many seasons. Why would I harm you now?"_

" _You're the fiendish mastermind here, not me." The girl insisted, "I have been plagued by one of you monsters for years. What have I done to deserve this curse? "_

" _Curse?"_

" _Yes, curse! Everyone thinks I'm crazy because no one else has seen any demons but-wait... did you say you have watched over me for years?"_

" _I did."_

" _Why?" She asked with suspicion._

" _To keep the other demons away."_

" _What are you?"_

" _I believe I am a dog."_

" _You believe?" Stunned, the teen mumbled something about him not looking like any dog she ever saw and shot him baffled look. "Step into the light." She cautiously demanded while squinting. The demon stood and stepped closer._

 _The girl screamed again._

" _Kami above, you're naked!"_

" _Does my lack bother you?"_

" _It sure doesn't look like you're lacking anything," She blurted out before averting her eyes, "But yes, it does bother me. It's indecent."_

" _I see."_

" _Here, cover yourself with this." The girl said as she slid a thin pelt from her shoulders and dangled it in the air, still not looking at the exposed youkai. He took it and wrapped it around his waist, sufficiently restoring his modesty._

" _I trust that I am now decent enough for you."_

" _You are definitely no dog." She said looking him over._

" _I changed myself to look human so you would not be quick to flee from me like before."_

" _Nice try but I have never seen a human with yellow-hold on, what do you mean 'like before?' This is the first time I ever laid eyes on you."_

" _I told you I changed myself for you. My true form is a dog. A very large dog."_

 _The girl looked to be processing his words as she scanned over his form. She started at his feet and worked her way up, quickly skimming over his midsection before lingering on his face._

 _But that's when something appeared to have caught her eye._

" _What's that symbol on your head?"_

" _Symbol?"_

 _She scooted across the ground until her scarcely lit torch was in her hands again, holding it up she shined its light on the demon's face. She dropped it upon doing so._

" _Why do you have the mark of my people's night dogs on your head? Is this some kind of trick you're playing on me? Lulling me into a false sense of trust by eating my thoughts and learning my fears?! Who are you? Answer me!"_

" _The only name I've ever known is Shiro."_

Kagome had never known it were possible to experience such a wide array of emotions. What was once dread and sorrow melted away, transforming into giddy jubilance-which threatened to distort the current recollection-but it couldn't be helped. She easily recognized that girl and held back a giggle as she witnessed their long awaited reintroduction.

But she had to push all distractions from her mind, and that she did.

 _Now Shiro was carrying the girl._

 _With her cradled in his arms, his steps still looked to be wobbly, and more than once the girl looked up at him with worry._

" _You seem to be struggling. You can put me down if I'm too much for you to bare."_

 _He shook his head. "Your weight is insignificant. It's this body, this form, I am not yet accustomed to it."_

" _Is that why you fell out of that tree back there?" She asked with a giggle, but she stopped when all Shiro did was stare at her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tease you."_

" _No, it's not that. It's just...that's the first time you've smiled at me."_

" _Oh. Well, now that I know who and what you are I swear I'll never run away from you in terror ever again."_

" _Is that a promise?" A hint of insecurity could still be detected in his voice._

 _She smiled again. "You have my word."_

" _I am glad. Now that just leaves the matter of your name. I have been debating with whether or not I should address you as master."_

 _The girl let out an abrupt, hearty laugh. "Nooo. That'll never do. My name is Kuri. You can call me that."_

" _Ku-ri." He all but purred. It rolled off his tongue just so._

Something compelled Ishiyaya to peek at the pair after that particular memory. She felt warmness burst within her heart because what she saw was two youths wearing a similar expression on their faces-bliss.

It was something she would take with her to her grave.

" _I told you that girl was nothing but trouble."_

" _Funny how the only one who speaks of demons is the first to bring one home."_

" _Trator! Banish the one who consorts with youkai!"_

 _Shiro rubbernecked in every direction, unable to keep up with the bombardment of misunderstanding being flung his way. In his arms he still held Kuri. She tried to calm the villagers but was unable to get a word in edgewise, and when a particularly brave man started to approach wielding a flint axe Shiro embraced her tighter._

" _Just give me a chance to explain," Kuri pleaded, "He is a good demon and used to be one of our-"_

" _Leading a scantily clad demon into our village-harlot!"_

" _That youkai is too familiar with her. He has obviously fucked her."_

" _Fucked?" Shiro whispered to Kuri._

" _Uh. They uh, think we've had sex." She reluctantly murmured back._

" _Oh. Was I supposed to 'fuck' you?"_

 _Kuri gasped and nearly jerked out of his arms._

" _Don't say that! " She hissed in his ear. "Something like that could get us killed, well, maybe just me. If you really are what you say then I doubt your life would be in danger."_

" _I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"_

" _It's okay, just put me down."_

 _Gingerly, Shiro placed her on the ground and took a step back, keeping a close eye on the man who still had a weapon pointed at him._

" _LISTEN!" Kuri shouted, hushing most of the ill nattering villagers. "This demon means us no harm. Lower your weapons and hear me, please. He-"_

" _I'll have none of this," An aged and authoritative voice boomed. "Seize her."_

 _Abilet worse for wear and using a walking stick, it was the familiar head of the lot. Considering the lifestyle at the time his appearance was understandable, and he certainly looked sharp as ever in the eyes as he started to make his way back towards the heart of crowd._

" _No! Let me go!" Kuri screamed as a man hoisted her over his shoulder. "You have to listen-Shiro! Show them what you are. Show them-OW! You're hurting me-SHOW THEM NOW!"_

 _The elder instantly swung around._

" _What..did...you...say?" He asked incredulously. "Did you say Shi-"_

 _Once again, as if entering another dimension Shiro's perspective shifted, and just for a millisecond one could see the now screaming villagers shrink as two colossal paws made contact with the ground._

 _The great demon lifted its head and looked down upon the quaking mortals._

 _They conveniently seemed to have lost their will to fight and dropped their crude weapons in their retreat. But two individuals did not run-Kuri and the elder. No, instead they gazed up at the substantial youkai with unadulterated awe._

" _You don't have to be afraid. He is Shiro, the legendary dog who I and many others owe our lives to. Look...look at his head, he wears the mark." Kuri said as she pointed, encouraging the others to look._

 _A multitude of astonied chatter rang throughout the crowd as the village head slowly walked towards the beast. He was seen silently mouthing 'Shiro' as he ambled closer, abandoning his walking stick in the process. Shiro was watching the old man, and when he finally reached him he lowered his head and allowed him to touch his nose._

 _The leader struggled to find his words._

" _Is it really...Shiro?" He asked, seemingly wanting what Kuri had said to be true. A nod was his response and immediately the old one collapsed onto his knees, eyes threatening to spill over with tears. "It's a gift…" He said, quietly at first but then loud enough for all to hear. "A gift, he is a gift from the Kamigami!"_

 _He bowed as low as his old body would allow and all but Kuri did the same. She however had a certain glint in her eye._

" _Gifts." Kuri corrected while looking awfully self-satisfied._

" _Gifts?" A man wondered out loud._

" _What does she mean gifts?" A child asked his mother._

" _Perhaps you would care to explain, Kuri?" The leader said, not talking his eyes off the youkai._

 _Kuri then glanced at the dog and gave him a simple nod-Shiro seemed to have understood-because when he received her confirmation he threw his head up towards the sky and let out a thunderous bay._

 _A similar cacophony of howls answered him._

That memory immediately merged with the next.

 _Sitting in a tree, Shiro was having a conversation with someone as he surveyed Kuri's neighboring village._

" _We can't lead them east. There's little water, game and unsociable neko youkai. And the Northern mountains are absolutely out of the question. There resides incomprehensible beasts-who to the benefit of everyone-is best left alone. Let them believe their region is all the world has to offer, just as long as they remain there."_

" _What about the south?" Shiro asked._

" _We don't know enough about the resident spirit bears to risk moving the humans there either. We recently established communication with them, so it would be inappropriate to ask to move in."_

 _Shiro turned his head and revealed that he was speaking with another dog demon who shared his likeness-a humanoid form._

" _What do you suggest, Gin?"_

Gin was indisputably a bonafide Daiyoukai. To the ignorant they were all fairly similar but those in the know could easily tell the difference. Shiro hadn't revealed himself in any memory, not so much as quick glance in a puddle, so all Kagome had to compare him to was Sesshomaru. Gin's jawline was more robust and he favored wearing his silver tresses loose, free from any binds and flowing freely off his shoulders.

Although, his eyes were vaguely familiar.

And for whatever reason Ishiyaya's grip tightened around Sesshomaru's wrist.

" _I say we lead them back to our homelands." Gin replied._

" _West from here?'_

" _Yes." Gin confirmed._

" _Gin, we are not just talking about mere wolves and their handlers. There are Okami Daiyoukai in the west now."_

 _The new demon looked especially smug._

" _Tell me, Shiro. When you spent all of those years watching over the humans did you even bother to test the full extent of your strength?"_

" _I've slain countless demons during that time." Shiro refuted._

" _Perhaps, but I mean thoroughly testing your might. You see, myself and most of the others have traveled to the far reaches of this land, fighting whomever dared to approach along the way."_

" _What's your point?"_

" _Might I suggest you investigate the full extent of your power? You will be surprised to learn that we do not die so easily. Which of course could only mean one thing..." Gin seemed to have paused to give his comrade a chance to answer but Shiro just stared at him. "It means that we are also great demons, Daiyoukai of sorts."_

" _Hmph. The Kamigami are certainly mysterious." Shiro finally replied._

" _And generous. So I would advise against sitting on the incredible gifts they have bestowed upon us. We should smite all who stands between us and our true home. Fight with me, Shiro. Fight with me and your packmates. I am confident we are greater than you have ever imagined."_

" _Gin, your confidence moves me. I trust your judgement and I will gladly go into battle with you."_

Kagome smiled as another Shiro and Kuri interaction appeared.

" _You're staring again." Kuri said while blushing. She looked older, still very much youthful but basking in the glow her prime. Perhaps eight-teen or so. No longer a wiry adolescence, her pelts did a poor job at hiding her curves, and Shiro did not fail to notice. Whenever she looked away Shiro took that opportunity to leer, sometimes incessantly. It was almost uncomfortable to witness, seeing the world through the often lecherous male gaze._

" _I'm sorry. I was just…thinking about something." He admitted sounding amused._

" _I'm almost afraid to ask, but what?"_

" _Babies."_

" _You grow more perverted each day."_

 _Shiro let out a chuckle. "So it seems. But I'm not exactly referring to us, although I'm not against the idea." Wide eyed, Kuri looked away from him, no doubt embarrassed at his admission of wanting to bed her. "We notice things before you do, and it appears that one of our females is with child."_

" _Oh," she uttered while now completely red in the face, "that's great news. But I have to admit, when you had asked to speak with me alone I thought you were going to tell something more important."_

" _It is important, Kuri. And you should keep this between me and you for now," he warned, "It wasn't a dog who impregnated our female, it was a man."_


	17. Pedigree (Part 3)

**I'm just gonna let you guys know that this chapter is just as sweet as it is messed up. I mean...honestly, it's all kinds of fucked up. And it's really, REALLY LONG. Not sure where it came from. I mean, I was just typing and I couldn't stop. So, here we are with the longest chapter ever, quite literally, that I hope you'll enjoy.**

 **I put my heart and soul into this chapter, it seems different from the previous ones. I might do a little editing in the future and clean up the story a bit.**

 **But this is the final installment to the origin explanation. Good luck. Whew!**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

" _You have yet to see Hime's pup. Is there a reason for your avoidance?"_

" _It is no pup," Gin digressed as he continued to busy himself with slicing into the abdomen of a fresh kill, "and you know I have my own young to water and feed."_

 _Shiro and Gin were breaking boar together in the middle of a snow storm. What looked to be treacherous and unforgiving weather seemed to be of no consequence to the dogs as they consumed the carcass at their leisure._

" _You know, 'it' has a name. I don't think his mother would appreciate you calling Niiro 'it'."_

" _I consider_ _ **it**_ _to be nothing more than a hanyou."_

 _Shiro's bloodied hands had stopped tearing into the boar's flank. He stared at his packmate, chewing, he swallowed before speaking._

" _I may be mistaken here, but it does sound like you have something against half-demons."_

" _Not necessarily. I'm more concerned about our breeding problem."_

 _Shiro chortled and resumed the task of ripping himself another portion of meat. "Breeding problem? As if you go without. Aside from Hime you have managed to mate with the remaining two bitches in our pack."_

" _Exactly my point, therein lies the problem. There aren't enough quality females to go around. But I doubt that's of any real concern to you," Gin sneered and then flashed a haughty eye at Shiro, "seeing that you regularly mount and relieve yourself inside that pregnant girl of yours. So it's little wonder why you're not all that bothered."_

" _I'm going to ignore that remark. More importantly, how are the other two not quality females? They appear to be suitable mothers, considering you haven't lost any young."_

" _Most females can manage the bare minimum such as nursing young, but you misunderstand me. They are inferior to us and are especially inferior when compared to Hime."_

" _And what makes those two so inferior?" Shiro sounded wittingly dismissive, like he knew better than to believe what Gin insinuated. But he said nothing as he watched Gin bring a sharp digit to his forehead, tapping, and drawing attention to the crescent insignia._

" _Come now, Shiro. I know you are at times oblivious, but surely you have noticed their lack in battle? That great wolf plucked their fangs from his hide as if they were ticks. The most capable among us all have something in common and they conveniently do not. Just imagine if we were all like those two, we would have never secured the west again. "_

" _They are still our packmates. Markings or not."_

" _And you're absolutely correct, but after four pups, between the two of them only one, my youngest son, shares our likeness. I do not like those odds, Shiro. And you know what?" Gin had paused to take a bite of meat, not bothering to wipe the droplets of blood that streaked down the corners of his mouth, "I'm willing to wager that had Hime's heart not been captured by the village head's unworthy and stupid grandson, all of my pups would be exactly like you and I."_

Kagome didn't care for the way Gin spoke of the hanyou in question, but she felt that at the very least he didn't seem to be too bitter over the child's birth. She would give the joy killer that. And she supposed he did raise a good point-the lack of female dogs to go around-and how perhaps she would feel a tad salty if the shoe were on her foot. That is… if she could be so understanding. _How greedy_ , she started to fume, _you already have all the women!_

But in the midst of her blossoming dislike for that demon, it was his matter of factly, more or less eugenic way of putting things that turned her off the most. She also suspected, because of Gin, that is probably when Inuyoukai inherited their infamous indifference. It had to be. None of the others thus far had expressed the slightest distaste for Niiro or people.

She briefly imagined how satisfying it would be to yank her hand out of the pot and reach across time, but just to that exact moment and only so she could punch him square in his jaw. _Ah, too much...too much, she_ silently acknowledged. Maybe a swift slap on her knee instead. In the sort of way people do when they want someone to shut up but they continue to prattle on, annoying the listener to such a degree they have to unleash their rage. She had decided against it though, not sure of what affect it would have on the revelation. Instead, she pushed his less than satisfactory opinions aside in favor of Shiro and Kuri, who were also due to have a hanyou of their own. And that was far more interesting than whatever noise Gin was squawking.

 _Shiro was troubled._

 _Pacing in front of a hut, his gait stiff and deliberate, he came to a halt when a woman unleashed an ungodly wail. Dragging out a groan, he slowly turned to her cries, fidgeting, staring at the animal hide that made for a makeshift door and then raising a trembling hand to his forehead. Another shriek. Now the thwap of his palm repeatedly smacking against his head could he heard, anxiety was getting the best of him, and what could only be interpreted as an attempt collect oneself, he slid that very hand down his face and then barged towards the entrance._

 _Suddenly a head emerged, taking care to ensure that he was unable to peek inside, the middle aged woman spoke gravely. "Believe me when I say… there are some things men-or uh, rather-demons aren't meant to see."_

" _I can handle it." Shiro urged in a voice colored with distress._

" _Men are forbid-"_

" _JUST LET ME REST, I BEG OF YOU!"_

 _Kuri._

" _Now is not the time for rest," Another woman had said from within," it's almost here. Push, my child. Push with everything you've got!"_

 _The door keeper's head disappeared into the hut, but only for moment, it soon popped back out wearing an expression that would reassure all but a nerve wracked father to be. "Trust me, if you intend to make more, you don't want to see any of this."_

" _Is she okay?"_

" _She's doing just fine. Pay no mind to her racket, first time mothers tend to be quite noisy." And with that said, the woman vanished back into the hut, her fingers holding the cover tightly. Shiro would get nothing during the birthing process._

 _More screams and even more shouts of encouragement came from behind the leather, reaching a fever pitch and driving Shiro mad. He endured with another groan. In the best way he could manage, he lowered to squat, unsteady, still trembling and needing to support his weight with one arm, the other covered his eyes. One would think he were feeling the agony of childbirth._

 _But then Kuri's weighty sigh of relief commanded Shiro to his feet, a wee gurgle, something was fighting to clear its lungs, consequently taking his own breath, and now the beautiful melody of a bawling newborn sent him in a tizzy. He sprang into the air, excitedly hopping up and down, attempting to speak but unable to keep his words from jumbling together. It was mostly incoherent anyway, although what he had been saying did sound joyous. Eventually, he did manage to collect himself and shout out a request to see his offspring._

 _Again he was told to wait. It didn't help his condition._

 _By now villagers had started to gather, possibly being drawn outside their homes by his babbling. They talked excitedly to themselves as they approached, beaming smiles at Shiro when they stood before the birthing hut._

 _Shiro inhaled deeply, repeatedly, incessantly. "I can smell the pup!" He shouted at the onlookers, to which they laughed. "My pup… our child smells so new, yet so familiar." He murmured, talking to no one it seemed. Pacing once again, no longer were his movements tight and careful, he pranced with each step, tittering with unrestrained elation before stopping at the doorway, bellyaching over the no males allowed rule._

 _Someone had enough of his whining. "Oh, for crying out loud, someone let the dog in!" A midwife yelled to the doorway. Finally, the cover was pushed aside and Shiro was permitted to enter. As if the other midwives didn't exist, he brushed passed them and made a b-line for his mate._

 _To say that Kuri looked exhausted would have been an understatement. Her hair, damp and stringy, was pulled back from her clammy face, and she hardly had the strength to lift her head when Shiro knelt down next to her soiled pallet. Swaddled tightly and resting in the crook her arms, Kuri righted herself a bit and presented the pup to him._

 _It was a girl._

 _A gorgeous and mostly human looking jade-haired girl, with skin as translucent as her father's, eyes that were as brilliant as any other Inuyoukai-amber-and with appendages! Two semi-pricked dog ears sat upon her fuzzy head, matching her hair color-the same as her mother's- and drooping adorably. The sound Shiro made couldn't be described as anything other than a squeal. Lovingly, carefully, he cradled the little one in his arms and stared, glancing at the tired smile of Kuri every so often._

 _But there it was again, that knowing glint in her eyes. It had successfully pried his gaze from his newborn. He didn't speak, but one could assume he were looking at her with questioning eyes as she covered her growing smile with her hand._

 _A peculiar noise._

 _Well, perhaps not all that peculiar, it was just a swishing sound. Although, when Shiro looked around the painfully meager hut all was still, the midwives were just standing there, looking at the small family with fondness, and when he swung back to his mate her grin was even larger. But that's when he was drawn to his child, realizing that the mystery rustling were coming from his bundle of joy. With tact he took the child to one arm and rolled her over. Something was moving under what covered her, so, naturally he unwrapped the swaddle and discovered a small black tail, silky like his true form, and trying in earnest to wag._

" _You did well, Kuri," his tone hinting that he was smiling, "Tsuki," he then said calmly to her, "I want her name to be Tsuki, our beloved moon child."_

The Miko was convinced that she were in love, in love with their disarmingly cute child. Lost for words-or rather thoughts-she realized that there really wasn't a word that could best describe how she felt. Nothing seemed more fitting than 'aww' anyway.

But something else had also spearheaded her attention. How intriguing it was to learn that half-demons could vary in appearance. Inuyasha was, well, Inuyasha but he looked more youkai than Tsuki. _Okay, yeah, there's her ears and tail, but that's about it. I mean, she doesn't have any claws or markings… just very human. Didn't see that coming, but oh my gosh, she's so adorable!_

The next series of memories were so sweet, so unfathomably sweet it threatened to rot the teeth out of her skull. Quickly and without end, like snap shots they flashed before her eyes. Some more similar than others, often repetitive, like the one where Shiro watched over Kuri as she nursed Tsuki at various hours of day and night. Kagome assumed the rustic hut they were in was their home since he often favored one spot, watching near the entrance and periodically taking a peek outside, in particular at night. He guarded his girls as they slept, and whenever Tsuki's cries ripped her mother from her much needed slumber, Kagome believed that if it were possible he would have been more than happy to assist with feeding.

But when the pup had nursed that was when Shiro took over. No, he couldn't feed her-yet-but he would hold her while she slept in his arms, while her mother slept deeply and, she assumed, without the worry of rolling over and smothering her.

How tender he was with her.

Kagome especially adored the way he scent marked her small cheeks, like clockwork, like the scent was washed away each night. And she didn't know what to make of a low whirring sound at first, but she soon figured out that it was Shiro, thrumming meditatively to calm impending cries. Sometimes he sat there on the earthen floor, sighing as he held her, and eventually, occasionally, Tsuki would stare back with eyes that also tended to gleam in the inky black, focusing, readjusting and smiling when she recognized him.

 _Shiro let out a relieved sigh as he gently pulled Tsuki from his shoulder. On their pallet, Kuri turned her back to him looked to be drifting off, having left him to his nightly shift. Nearby there was another makeshift bed, smaller and probably intended for their child. Gradually he rose to his feet, stepping lightly towards the crude bed and then laying the infant down._

 _She stirred._

 _He froze with bated breath._

 _She settled._

" _Whew."_

 _His attention then swung to Kuri._

 _Silently, he crept to the bed and stopped to crouch behind Kuri's back. He watched the subtle heave of the pelt that covered her, reaching out to touch but deciding against it. He must have been debating the action, his hand still floated in the air as he glanced at their sleeping child once more._

 _Having finally made up his mind, he tapped his mate on her shoulder._

" _Kuri," he whispered, "the pup sleeps."_

" _Thank you, love." She said without moving, her voice thick with lethargy._

" _We should have sex."_

 _Now it was her turn to sigh. It was an irritated one, "Shiro..."_

" _I grow tired of… handling it myself."_

 _Kuri rolled over and faced him. "It hasn't been that long since we las-."_

" _It has been seven moon cycles." He said quickly._

" _You've been keeping track? Ugh, nevermind. I don't want to wake the baby."_

" _I promise that I'll be quiet," he assured his groaning mate, "and since it has been a while, I promise won't be very long either."_

That memory had evoked a hushed chuckle from Ishiyaya. _Ah, what no one will tell-what happens after the pups are born,_ she humorously confided to herself.

" _Tsuki!"_

 _Tsuki, looking to be roughly the size of a five-year old human child, flinched upon hearing her father's scolding voice. Ears flattened against her head, and with an anxious twitch of her now knee length tail, it stopped her in her tracks and slowly she turned to him. She had been running around the village, but she looked as if she had been rolling around in a pig pen. The child was downright filthy._

" _Your mother has told me that you refuse to bathe."_

" _That's right!" The child said folding her arms. Her eyes were closed but attitude radiated from behind them, and with her head elevated she turned away from him. "Hmph!"_

" _You know better than to give mother a hard time," he chastised once again, "Do as she says and go wash."_

" _ **No**_ _."_

" _Tsuki…"_

" _I don't want to," she said with a defiant stomp and with her arms still crossed as Shiro walked closer, "Maybe I like dirt, did you eva think of that, Otousan?"_

" _Do not sass me," he warned, his tone serious and reaching out to grab at nothing, "Tsuki!"_

 _Tsuki had been standing before him just moments ago, but before he could lay a claw on the child she sidestepped, leaving her distorted evanescence behind. He turned and saw that his daughter was now behind him, giggling, and looking ready to bolt again._

The child was quick, and possibly her speed may have been the only youkai ability she inherited from her father. But, alas, she was still a child, a hanyou child, and Shiro was quicker; his skills honed for longer.

 _Wounding up like a spring, Tsuki braced herself and popped in front of him, then behind and back again-all over really. Shiro watched closely, tracking her movements with a low grumble bubbling in his throat. When he focused on her form she didn't seem so blurred through demon eyes, and he smoothly lifted an arm, akin to a mantis preparing to snatch a fly out the air, and caught her by the tail._

" _Oof-hey! No fair, Otousan!"_

 _Ignoring her protests, Shiro proceeded to their home. Tsuki still in tow by her tail, he carried her like she were nothing more than briefcase, swinging her in his unwavering grip even as she flipped herself over in the air and attempted to pry his fingers loose. She soon accepted defeat with a droop, her body dangling uselessly as her father walked through the doorway._

" _I have caught the wild child," he said upon entering and setting his daughter on the floor. Immediately, Tsuki was on her feet and talking excitedly._

" _But we were having fun, weren't we, Papa?"_

 _Shiro looked down at her. "Your mother didn't think it was fun."_

" _That's because Okaa-san is_ _ **oooold**_ _and she can't keep up," Tsuki retorted in a playful huff. Although, her jovial expression soon melted away as her father continued to stare at her. Her ears swifty took refuge in her tangled mane again._

" _Tsuki," Shiro started to say, angrily, hectoring, "Apologize to your mother."_

" _No, no it's quite alright," Kuri said, her interference pulling his gaze from his little one, "You know children, they speak only the truth. We shouldn't scold her for saying what is so."_

" _But-"_

" _No, Shiro," she cut him off, "It's alright. Really."_

 _Kuri definitely had aged. Gray peppered throughout her hair. Fine lines gathered in the corners of her eyes, and speaking of which, they appeared to have dulled. It must have been at least twenty years, she looked middle aged, and her voice, no longer did it harmonize in a once youthful croon, instead it was saturated in a broad contralto, something time had the tendency to do to women. But she smiled happily all the same. Her smile was something that hadn't changed much._

" _Come now, Tsuki, you mischievous thing. Let's go wash up. When we're done, you can help me prepare the meat your father brought us earlier."_

Pain had slithered into Kagome heart, pinging with alarm upon seeing Kuri. Of course, she knew Shiro's mate was merely human like her, but she still didn't want to be reminded of Kuri's morality-of her own morality. It had to have been cruel. Growing older and seeing that your seed remained a child far longer than normal, missing milestones that were meant to be experienced as you reached a certain age, and your mate-though she had yet to see Shiro-as unchanged as the day you met them. Kagome didn't know how she would have fared in a similar situation.

But she did take solace in something-their happiness. In despite of Kuri's glaring morality Shiro must have cherished these memories more than any battle. In comparison they must have been far less important to him, it was mostly his mate, his family, his life with them that was exposed thus far.

 _Shiro watched as two half-demons played together._

 _Tsuki, looking to be about ten now, and a white-haired boy-who shared a likeness to that of a fourteen year-old ningen child-were having a go at game of make believe, a mock battle of sorts._

 _The boy had an intriguing appearance. His eyes were as yellow as they came, and although he did not have a crescent symbol-just like suki-he did have a single purple stripe that ran alongside both his cheeks in addition to clawed finger tips. Aside from that the hanyou was remarkably human looking, even his ears were no different from any other person._

" _Wait, Niiro. Let's start over I wasn't ready," Tsuki said, stopping Niiro's pretend charge, "Okay, go!"_

" _Arah! We're twin brothers who are forced to fight!" Niiro grunted, taking a fighting stance and trying his best to conjure up a tough sounding voice._

" _Mother never loved you as much!" Tsuki played along in a tone just as hilariously gruff and holding up invisible claws._

" _He loved me twice as much as he ever loved y-"_

" _-_ _ **He**_ _?!" Tsuki jerked, standing up straight and breaking her character, "What kind of_ _ **he**_ _is mother?" she then asked through a laugh that sent them both bowling over._

" _He's mother..." Niiro just managed to say, his voice cracking, as if realizing his silliness and still unable to control his laughter, "Shut up!" He shouted desperately trying to stay in role, "You know our mother was a complicated man!" *_

" _What in Kami's name are you kids playing?" Shiro asked with a chuckle of his own. Niiro covered his mouth just as a raspberry escaped between his fingers. He failed to contain his giggling and that triggered another series of horselaughing._

 _A tired laugh joined them._

 _Shiro looked down, revealing that he was holding a veiny and weathered pale hand._

 _He looked up and revealed the now gray-haired and elderly Kuri._

The nagging pings the Miko felt earlier were now piercing her heart, ebbing with crystalline sharpness and sending her pulse into a fit. _No. I don't want to see this. No, no, no, no! Kuri… she's… she's…_ She couldn't even finish that thought. What Shiro felt for Kuri was so beautiful, yet so sad. His love everlasting and unchanged even though Kuri had so much.

Ishiyaya could smell Kagome's sorrow, the salt of tears that had yet to fall. She could also smell Sesshomaru's as his scent was steadily becoming overwhelmed by grief. Though she understood that is wasn't his angst per say, rather, it was his beast spirit.

She had a hunch that the happy memories were going to stop there.

 _It was a perfect spring day. The time of year when the cherry blossoms were most beautiful, ideal for a leisure stroll, preferably with someone you love._

 _Shiro was doing just that._

 _He was walking out of the Western territory and while cradling Kuri's stiff body close to his chest._

 _He steps were rickety-though he should have been vastly more sure footed by now._

 _The youkai stopped when he came to a familiar tree with a familiar branch and with even more familiar scarring on its bark._

 _With his very claws, he dug, silent at first but then while bargaining with the Kamigami, trying to convince them to gift his dead mate back to him with watery eyes. The heavy quiet that followed was his answer._

 _The Kamigami were no longer feeling generous._

 _He buried his love where they had first met. A night that ningen would consider long ago, but maybe, to a celestial being, it only seemed like yesterday._

Being right and having the answer for everything-it was something that greatly pleased Ishiyaya, but not like this, not this way. The brine exuding from Kagome assaulted her senses, coursing through her body and vowing to induce her own. When she last wept? She couldn't recall, as hard as that was to believe with her bear-trap memory, but today was a good day for tears. If the images weren't enough to summon them, Sesshomaru's claws embedded into her arm would do the trick. His tips pierced her deeply, fibrillating, spilling her blood to the craunch of grinding teeth-Sesshomaru's teeth. Tension coiled around his jaw and it sounded as if he were milling his fangs to nubs.

 _A massive orc demon had dared to enter the developing Western Territory. No longer in huts, the villagers had emerged from sturdily built structures and had chosen not to flee upon seeing the demon walking towards the heart of their settlement. In place of fear they jeered with defiance, standing confidently behind-at a safe distance-six true form Inuyoukai and with Niiro standing in front of all. From how he carried himself one could easily assume he was now the leader, and since he was the great grandson of a long dead headmaster, the position was probably fitting._

 _Niiro had grew into the male he pretended to be in his youth. Tall and broad, his symmetric and brooding eyes sparked with power, and his claws, as razor sharp they were, glistened as poison seeped from underneath his nail beds. Resting on his shoulders was the hide of a neko youkai, and judging from the scars on his chest he may have been the one who took the feline's life. Looks were indeed deceiving, for it was Hime, the only high ranking female among her group who birthed a capable hanyou._

 _The dogs were at his helm. With a simple gesture he directed them to say put behind an imaginary line and proceeded towards the demon._

 _Shiro shuddered with anticipation. To his right stood Hime in her feminine glory, her muzzle distinctly gracile but lethal all the same. She was watching her son with worry etched in her crimson eyes, unable to assist because of his orders. To his left stood the brute Gin, his skull heavy and his limbs robust, he looked on with misplaced glee-to which Shiro took a second glance._

 _There was something about his expression, something about indifference in the faces of the other Inuyoukai down the line…_

 _He turned back to the hanyou just as he closed in on the orc._

" _If you value your life you will leave this land," Niiro warned soberly, "Stay if life is too much for you to bare."_

" _Freaks," its guttural voice thundered, "this land is a sanctuary for blasphemy. You should know that reputable youkai would never share land with mankind, let alone take one as a mate," the orc growled as it looked at the scene in front of him, his statements making Shiro and Gin snarl, perhaps for different reasons, "I recognize no declaration of ownership from you worthless ningen, and especially from a hanyou and his pet doggies."_

 _Niiro cracked his knuckles and turned to all who stood behind him._

" _Watch closely everyone! Watch as I, Niiro, ruler of these lands defend all without the aid of my-our demon dogs."_

 _A terrible growl erupted next to Shiro and he turned and saw that it was Gin. His look sour and with ill, it wasn't for the orc, but for Niiro, a supposed comrade. But no words were exchanged so one couldn't be entirely sure..._

" _Then come at me, hanyou," the orc taunted from where he stood, "I'll do you the honor of dying by a true demon's hand."_

" _You cocky son-of-a-"_

 _As requested, Niiro sprinted towards the youkai. His hands glowing with a toxic aura, he effortlessly sprang into the air and plunged his arm deep into the orc's chest, and in one fluid motion he maneuvered his feet onto the fiend and pushed away, landing heavily on the ground. He had then dropped to a crouching position, glaring from a counter stance, eyeing his work with satisfaction._

 _The ponderous orc was unmoved, unaffected. He looked down at the oozing wound, now healing and let out a laugh, "All that for a scratch, hanyou?"_

" _You're a hefty bastard, but it's only a matter of time before my poison works its way to your heart and stops it from beating."_

" _You fool," the monster gruffed while it raised its fist, "Poison doesn't affect my kind," it then informed as that very fist transformed into a giant boulder, "And now, hanyou… it's_ _ **my turn**_ _!"_

 _Niiro was on his feet in a flash. He didn't try to dodge or run, he stood in place, holding up his hands and prepared to intercept the blow._

' _No! Niiro-do not try and block!" Shiro embodied, though all Niiro could have possibly heard was a panicky bay, 'That demon is-'_

' _-A daiyoukai,' Gin conveyed to Shiro using a language only they could speak and understand._

 _The instance the orc's mighty fist made contact with Niiro his body crimped backwards, bearings failing, fracturing, collapsing in on itself like a lawn chair. The blow was so catastrophic, so horribly savage that the contents of his body spewed and landed on the grass with a plop, as if he were nothing more than busted sausage casing-his death was instantaneous._

 _Niiro's mutilated body was the trigger that sent the dogs through an invisible starting gate, sprinting as fast as they could towards the large menace. Hime and Gin took the early lead but soon Shiro blitzed pass Gin and then her._

 _Swifter than them all, he snarled as he jumped for the murderous beast, using its face as a platform to break his landing. The momentum swung the orc around, and while it did not fall, it staggered, desperately fighting and trying to pry Shiro off._

" _Release me-RELEASE ME AT ONCE!" It bellowed._

 _Hime soon joined Shiro on his right again, shaking and biting with such a force that one could hear the exact moment when she broke a canine off into the orc's neck._

" _GIN...LIAR! THIS...NOT-DEAL!...OUR DEAL!"_

' _ **Deal**_ _?' Shiro repeated and looking for Gin, but what he saw was a questionable sight. Only he and Hime were attacking the orc, and while their combined might was more than enough to kill the demon, one could think of it as strange. Their leader was just killed. The entire pack should have brought the youkai down in a frenzied rage, instead the others had charged in a false attack._

 _As the orc fell to ground-dead upon arrival- Shiro shifted his attention to Gin, who for some reason reverted back to his humanoid form and started to walk towards the shellshocked villagers._

' _Gin,' Shiro called, it was a growl that was ignored._

" _Did you see?" Gin asked the villagers, arms held open, "Did you see the difference between a true youkai and a hanyou? You all decided that Niiro-as strong as you all thought he was-was the best choice to lead the West into prosperity, but more importantly, safely." The crowd chatted amongst themselves as he spoke, many didn't seem to be sure of where he was going with his address. "It cannot be helped, you are all just human-most of you that is," Shiro was sure that jab was directed at Tsuki and that evoked a low rumble. "That is why I, Gin, the strongest of the Inuyoukai should be leader, your alpha, protector of these lands."_

' _This is...Gin… you...' Shiro snarled behind him, he had been the only one to do so, 'Traitor! You conspired with that youkai, you are the reason Niiro is dead!' He barked, capturing the attention of the villagers. That did it. That was what made Gin inch his head around and fire a malevolent glare at him._

" _What a ridiculous idea," a ningen elder said while stepping forward, "Niiro was special, he was human and he was a demon, he fought and spoke for us all," Many voices began to chat over one another but it sounded like agreement, "And now Niiro is dead, his corpse still warm and you propose that you, a youkai, take charge of all humans?"_

" _What?!" Gin snapped._

" _Look here, demon-Gin, we will decide who the next leader will be just as we have done for as long as we can remember. And you... your place, why, that's up to you. You can either assimilate with us in the village-like what Shiro, Hime and their offspring have done-or you can keep to yourself with the other dogs like you have always done and protect us from a distance," the old one concluded to an array of chants._

" _You..ungrateful," Gin started to say as the villagers welcomed the elder back into the group, "UNGRATEFUL PEONS!" He boomed. It pulled a collective gasp from the people and all grew quiet. "Was my previous life not enough? You forget yourselves, mortals. I died for your ancestors long ago. And now… now you deny me what is owed? To see me off as nothing more than a mere_ _ **guard dog**_ _?"_

 _The same old man tried to speak from the crowd, "How dare-"_

" _SILENCE!" Gin commanded as his eyes percolated with red, "...out… GET OUT, THE ENTIRE LOT OF YOU!" But the villagers didn't move, it must have been generations since they last feared demons, "I hereby claim the Western lands for Inuyoukai, Kingdom of dogs!"_

" _What the hell is this one's problem?"_

" _He can't be serious."_

" _Why are we listening to the dog again?"_

" _If you will not leave on your own free will," Gin said hoarsely over the now laughing villagers, his transformation beginning, "then you shall leave in pieces!"_

 _His true form emerged and he was joined by all Inuyoukai save for two-Hime and Shiro. They heeled at his sides and snarled at the humans who suddenly misplaced their sense of humor. Quite frankly they looked to be struggling with what was happening. However, it didn't take long for them to realize just how serious Gin was. Fear began to spread throughout the humans as Gin and his pack started to approach, finally whipping them up into a panic, but Shiro ran and put himself between people and the dogs._

 _Roaring something terrible, Shiro stood tall in defense of the ningen, looking only at Gin._

' _You tempt your fate baring your fangs at me, Shiro. Is that a challenge?' The tyrant intercommunicated through his canines._

 _His incarnate voice low, eerily sedated, Shiro issued his reply, 'Yes.'_

 _Shiro reacted the moment Gin sprang forward, running across the grass and meeting him with a terrible crash. The powerful youkai were subequal in strength and neither gave the other much leverage as they exchanged holds through a fury of ear-splitting snarls. The once retreating villagers had stopped to watch the two dogs, some whooping and starting a chain reaction of cheering._

 _They cheered for Shiro._

 _This must have enraged Gin because as their encouragement increased he secured Shiro by the scuff and immobilized his head. Gin pulled Shiro's skin with so much muscle that the world whited out, his bottom eyelids obstructing his vision. Unable to grab at anything, Shiro resorted to snapping at the air, wildly, without anything to seize. His head bobbed as he resisted Gin who was trying to force him down and wrestling hard for a favorable position._

" _Otousan!" A despairing voice screamed._

 _Shiro fought to turn his head and saw his terrified looking daughter. Her resemblance to her mother was astonishing. 'Tsuki!' He tried to bark to her, but a violent jerk shook and rung his bell, making it impossible to focus._

" _You have to win, father," she pleaded, "you just have to!"_

' _And I will,' He said. Gin was displeased with that statement, but Shiro was known as a skilled fighter in his previous life, and while Gin pulled and shook the skin of his neck more vigorously, he eyed a forelimb that every so often got dangerously close to his mouth._

 _He saw his chance and took Gin's limb into his jaws. Eventually, he was able to gnaw and bite it clean through, to which Gin stumbled, no longer able to support himself on that arm. There was no hesitation, Shiro immediately latched onto his neck and proceeded to mop the ground with Gin._

 _It was an all out pummeling._

 _Shiro shook him with such furor that the fap of Gin's jowls against his teeth muted his strangled snarls. Shiro lifted Gin off ground and slammed him back down again, spinning around and around, shaking, tearing-he was trying to disorient him as he went. And when Gin attempted to take his own leg, Shiro cleverly snatched his forelimb back, splayed wide and as he pushed deeper into Gin's neck._

' _Comrades!' Gin frothed in his grip, 'he fights for our slavery, for our lives to be at the use of humans, aid me if you disagree!'_

 _Shiro tore his gaze from Gin and saw several Inuyoukai coming for him. They seized him. Two yanked at opposite ends of his neck, the last unseen until they pried his mouth away and revealing that it took a hold of his leg. They pinned him to the ground as he watched Gin slowly rise on his paws. He was in poor shape and regressed back to his smaller form. He began to heal, his broken humerus fused back together with a hollow sounding snap._

" _The dogs have gone mad!" A woman was heard shrieking, and once again the humans fled, all but one running eastward, out of the newly claimed Western Lands. Tsuki ran in the opposite direction, her shoulders swaying as villagers bumped into her, she was going towards her baying father._

" _You intended to kill me, didn't you, Shiro?"_

' _You speak as if my feelings have changed,' Shiro growled back at Gin, struggling to break free from the jaws that held him._

" _I suspected as much," Gin grinned at him, "and despite that I do not wish to see you die." He said turning to look at Tsuki approaching ever closer. "But you still need to be punished for your disloyalty to your own kind."_

' _Fine. I'll gladly leave these lands with the humans.'_

" _Oh, no, old friend. That will never do," Gin tuned cruelly, "Even if one demon lives among humans, a great demon such as yourself, people and ningen alike will get the wrong impression."_

" _Let go of Otousan!" Tsuki yelled running to her father, crying, "Let him up and we'll just go, won't we, papa?"_

" _You are mistaken, hanyou," Gin crooned devilishly to her, suddenly wide eyed, plotting, and now looking back at Shiro, "Your father will stay, but you I'm afraid have to go. Perhaps to see your mother?"_

' _Her mother?_ _ **No… Tsuki!**_ ' _Shiro blared a distress call, a high frequency whine that could only be conjured by oscillating his mandible. Its translation was universally understood-danger, 'FOR YOUR LIFE, TSUKI, RUN!'_

 _Tsuki frantically looked around as Gin stalked towards her, and once she registered what was going on she turned on her heel, booking at a speed on par with any Inuyoukai._

" _Ah, how I love the chase," Gin exclaimed as his face grew taut and taking off at a pace just as blindingly quick. Shiro roared as he watched Gin instantly close in on his daughter, he screamed loud enough to split one's throat as he watched the traitor summon a luminous thread, promptly wrapping it around Tsuki's throat. He bellowed with unintelligible despair as he witnessed Gin whip her through the air, only to bring her crashing back down to earth, neck first and concaving her head through her collarbone._

"That fucking bastard!" Kagome yelled with tears streaming down her face, her chest shuddering. She opened and her eyes and found Sesshomaru seizing with each ragged breath, unaffected by her outburst. Ishiyaya was in a similar state, though less severe. Kagome had no way of knowing of the pain the prince was inflicting upon her in the cauldron.

 _Why_ , she wondered, _why did he have to kill Tsuki? Why couldn't he just take their stupid land and send everyone away? There was no reason for her to...to...that unimaginable bastard…_

A groan caught her attention.

Hopeless and weighted with devastation, it came from Sesshomaru. He was shaking, as if trying to revive his consciousness, and he appeared to be in agony, constantly moving about in the way one does to distract themselves from searing pain. Kagome looked at his free hand and saw that his nails dug into the floor, filed down and starting to bleed. _Oh, Sesshomaru. I'm starting to believe that maybe some things aren't worth finding out._

Without thinking she reached out and took his hand. Cold and trembling, it immediately closed around hers and threatened to pierce her too. But she squeezed back, willing him to calm down, her touch telling him that it was going to be alright and that he wasn't alone. It worked. And though he still breathed heavily, his juddering subsided and slowly, surely, the warmness crept back into his finger tips.

She swallowed hard. Kagome knew that there was still more to see, but she didn't know how much more she could bare, how much Sesshomaru could either.

" _Since you still refuse to see things my way, I've come up with the perfect job for you."_

 _Shiro was standing near the eastern border of the Western Kingdom. Gin and several other Inuyoukai stood before him. Closest to Gin was a boy dog demon, thoroughbred, and probably one of his sons since the youkai child had been looking at him with contempt._

" _Although it has been a few moons since I banished those damnable ningen, some still attempt to return to our territory," Gin started to explain, "And seeing that I am a thoughtful ruler, I decided to give you the opportunity to once again protect those infernal mortals. Ah, I see you are excited over this job. That's good, Shiro," Gin's words were misleading. He praised Shiro but his tone dripped with wilful perverseness, "So here's how this will work, Shiro. If you see or detect any human near this border you will chase them off."_

 _Shiro choked on a whimper._

" _I don't care how you do it, just as long as they stay away," Gin said with a cruel chuckle, "Oh, and Shiro. If you leave the Western lands, you know, to rejoin them, I'll kill them-"_

" _No…" Shiro replied, his throat cracking and his voice small._

" _If you bare your fangs to any Inuyoukai, I'll kill them-"_

" _Please stop…"_

" _I swear to you before Kami, I'll kill them, Shiro," Gin continued warn as Shiro looked to be swaying, "and I'll make you watch. Killing you would do no good. No, that's too easy. You probably wish for death, don't you?"_

" _Every waking moment."_

" _This should help with that then, and perhaps whatever it is that you're still going through. Think of it this way, old friend, you're still protecting them. Isn't that wonderful?" Gin turned and walked away, a snap of his fingers directed the others to follow him. "I hope you see how special you are one day and soon, because until you do, this is where you shall remain, in exile."_

The memories that followed flashed rapidly, in and out with little differences. There was no way to be sure just how long Shiro walked back and forth, north and south, but the only thing that did seem to change were the seasons.

 _It was summer, mid-day._

 _Shiro, still at his task of guarding the border, had stopped and swiftly turned around. He ran for a short distance and came to an abrupt halt, staring at trees that were outside his post. Something was trying and failing at being stealthy, and so he waited, but then he audibly swallowed, hard, as his vision became distorted with tears._

 _Out the brush appeared a teenage girl, no older than when he first met Kuri, no different from the age his Tsuki looked to be on the day she was slain. The girl bravely approached, inching towards him and with a starstruck expression. He closed his eyes, taking in quivered breaths._

 _When he opened them he let out a half hearted snarl. It still turned the girl white with fear and sent her flying back in the direction to which she came._

 _He wept as he returned to his task._

No one moved so much as an inch as Shiro's anguish came full circle.

 _Still he walked along the border, past a young cherry blossom tree on the Western side, continuously, alone and without saying a word._

It did not end.

 _He walked, just as he had been doing ever since Gin told him to. The only timeline, an indication of how long he had been trudging along, was a familiar cherry blossom tree. It was taller, its flowers even more beautiful._

His suffering didn't end.

 _Shiro was looking up at the sky._

 _The tyrant approached with Inuyoukai in tow. When they landed Shiro double took, Hime accompanied him along with two other dogs. Gin landed with a sinister smirk and immediately walked to Shiro, Hime was close behind._

" _I'd thought you'd like to know that Hime here has given me two high ranking pups," Gin said, never breaking eye contact with who was exiled, "But I have a problem, Shiro."_

 _Shiro just stared at him, to which the alpha sneered._

" _For whatever reason, you have yet to come to your senses, you still refuse to join us. That is a shame, as you are the solution to my predicament," Shiro shifted his gaze to Hime who looked to be greatly uncomfortable with this exchange, "but since you obviously cannot be reasoned with, I decided to come to you, and," Gin had paused to nudge him with his elbow, his face lecherous, "I brought you a female."_

" _I'm not interested." He finally spoke, hoarse and probably from not speaking for so long._

" _You speak as if your interest is required,"Gin then said, serious and with malice, "Hey, you lot," he barked at the two Inuyoukai, "Seize him."_

 _The demons moved quickly, through Shiro's snarls, knocking him over and sharing their burden. He looked up, one held his arms, he looked down, the other had his legs. As strong as Shiro was the combined strength of two Daiyoukai was too much, they restrained him steadfast, to the ground and in despite of his wriggling. Shiro let out a dismayed groan and looked at the sky. Perhaps to admire its wonder, to seek out the Kamigami, whatever his reason, anything could have been better than watching Hime reluctantly lower herself onto his lap, undoing his pelt._

 _Shiro eyed Gin until he lurched at the right of his shoulder. One could assume he did that to get a good view of the impending depravity, especially as he shifted his rapturous gaze between Hime and Shiro._

" _Gin-sama," Hime's voice could be best described as dove-like, "He… he is not ready."_

" _Oh?" With a raised brow Gin assessed the situation, "Just give him a stroke, it'll stir," he recommended, fanning his hand._

" _This… wrong," Shiro croaked, "Gin, this is wrong."_

" _I'll tell you what's wrong," the new lord retorted, his infliction dismissive, "A great demon such as yourself-yes, Shiro, believe it or not, I still see you as great-but that's besides the point, a great demon like you wandering these lands instead of producing offspring and making our territory even more secure-"_

 _Shiro grunted as his body started to shake, and when he looked down he saw that Hime was straddling him, bouncing on his lap. Gin prattled on like it was business as usual._

" _-it's not right. I'm trying my best, but there's only so much I can do. Eventually, the effects of inbreeding will bottleneck our population, leading to all sorts of problems. Delayed pups, physical deformities-terrible, just terrible."_

 _Shiro's only response was a sharp hiss._

" _Trust me, I've seen it. I fathered my grand daughter, her mother was also my daughter," Gin scratched at his chin and continued on,_ _blasé_ _as ever, "and the pup came out all wrong. Shame, it was a girl too, not high born, but you know, shame."_

 _Now Shiro was panting heavily, his eyes seemed to be rolling to the back of his head._

" _But this is where you come in, saving us," Gin said cheerily and giving Shiro a playful punch, "Whatever you produce with Hime-and I suspect it'll be male because for whatever reason demonesses like her are hard to come by-I'll pair with my youngest daughter."_

 _Stifling another groan, Shiro looked down once more, juddering upon seeing Hime's relentless rocking and throwing his head back to the dirt. He held his breath, exhaled deeply and inhaled shallowly, rapidly, his vision unsteady and jerking-Hime was moving faster, if the sound of skin against skin was any indication._

" _Ishiyaya, my daughter, she may not be a Daiyoukai, but she's special, she's smart," Gin bragged to the sound of Shiro reaching his brink, "She's the only dog demon who captured the attention of Kumashiri-ah, I'm sorry, you must not know who he is. I'll enlighten you since you probably won't be changing your mind about joining us any time soon."_

" _Psychopath," Shiro finally strained out._

" _Don't be rude, Shiro, I'm trying to educate you. Anyway, we have allies now. We're a true Kingdom," Gin said proudly, "And going back to Kumashiri, he's the leader of demons known as spirit bears. You remember them, don't you? Turns out they're a reputable lot. Curious beings they are, but their power is great nonetheless. Kumashiri is training my daughter as we speak."_

 _Shiro was struggling to hold his moan._

" _Hey, pick up the pace, Hime, I'm starting to get hungry," Gin said sounding rather bored._

 _As Hime began to move even faster, Shiro closed his eyes and shouted out expletives, repeatedly, until they were indistinguishable from the long groan she forced out of him, along with his orgasm._

 _Gin-sama," Hime said, out of breath "I believe he's finished."_

" _Yeah, I suspected he wouldn't last very long, considering how long he's been without. Dismount, Hime, we're leaving."_

 _Shiro didn't move when the two youkai holding him down had released him. He laid there, watching as the four bound into the air, heading towards the hive of the Kingdom._

Besides the fact that Kagome just witnessed a rape, she knew that once the time was right-and frankly at this point it might not ever be-she was going to ask Ishiyaya if she always knew that her father was such a deranged incestuous bastard.

 _Shiro was laughing as he carried on a conversation, still walking along a sickeningly familiar border._

" _I was so pitifully inept at first. When I first met her I was naked. Oh, yeah... laugh at my expense. No, go on I'll let you finish."_

 _Silence._

" _It never occurred to me, you know, after watching humans for so long to cover myself. I thought it was perfectly fine to just walk up on a young girl wearing nothing," He explained with another laugh._

 _Silence._

" _Let me tell you about my daughter, Tsuki and all the trouble she gave us, especially her mother…"_

 _No one walked alongside Shiro as he relayed events from his past life. He proceeded to ramble on, steadily walking as his hysterical cackles periodically broke the deafening silence._

 _Shiro's mind had begun to collapse into madness._

Seeing that dogs-like humans-are social animals, Kagome wasn't too surprise to witness his deterioration. From what she understood he had been out there alone for quite some time by then. However, it didn't make it any less disturbing.

" _How is it possible for one to be so impervious to injury?!" Shiro screamed, questioning no one at the top of his lungs. He was not walking. He was standing, unfortunately, at that very border, hyperventilating and tearing into his flesh with his claws._

 _His movements were intentional, deranged even as he took his claws to his neck and repeatedly slashed across. He let out a groan that was beyond disappointment, frantic and off the deep end, he was distraught over his ability to heal._

 _Next he dropped to the ground and cut his thigh deeply, repulsively filleting his flesh and turning over a cross section of muscle. Like butchered prey, he exposed the inner workings of his leg's musculatory system and watched as his body reginerated._

 _Perhaps... much to his dismay._

That had done it.

That was what Kagome had to witness to make her no longer wish to see what happened to Shiro. He was too far gone, too broken and it didn't seem like it was going to end happily at this point. With a thousand yard stare, mechanically she pulled her hand from the pot, forever jumping off the vessel to Sesshomaru's past.

She then pushed herself from the cauldron and scooted to the wall behind her. There she gathered her legs, pressing them to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. The Miko rocked herself, gently and while starting to cry again.

And with no other option, she waited for Ishiyaya to break the trance that she put Sesshomaru under. Hoping, praying that it wouldn't be much longer.

 **And so, that's the story of Shiro, the forgotten ancestor who (for obvious reasons) isn't listed in any of Sesshomaru's family records. The bastards betrayed him, used people he couldn't even see as leverage and eventually, yeah, it fucked him up. He never got over it, because Shiro had a heart of gold that's why. And that begs the question, did Sesshomaru inherit that heart of gold?**

 *** That he/she mother bit was inspired by the youtuber, Markiplier. I thought it was hilariously silly and just had to add it.**


	18. Sesshomaru: Best In Show

**I'm glad so many enjoyed the story of Shiro. Honestly, pulling that off to be somewhat believable was why I took a 5 month break.**

 **I'm also going to start pumping out longer chapters. At least 4-5k as a minimum. This one is over 7k however.**

 **I won't say much about this chapter other than it's all about Sesshomaru and has a hint of lemony freshness.**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"I said enough!" Sesshomaru shouted as he snatched his arm out of the cauldron, snapping the spell, "I cannot bare to-"

He stopped talking upon hearing his own voice, his body as still as the room. His mind was free, finally, he was free from the torment that was Shiro's life. Without moving his head, his eyes first shifted to Kagome. She was still holding herself, crying quietly and showing all of the signs of someone who just experienced a great trauma. He then looked to Ishiyaya. Her expression was just as somber, and as the claw marks on her wrist gradually healed, she glanced up at him, shaking her head before looking away.

Nothing was easy to digest. From Kagome's dead on theory to the tragedy of his ancestor, his mind reeled so quickly that he didn't know what to dwell on first. When he allowed himself to remember the mortal dogs there wasn't any more room for offense, only acceptance. He wished that were the only thing to think about. And as his thoughts then raced to the half-breeds, what was once dislike had transformed into pity, a step above indifference for him. Sesshomaru felt sort of sorry for them, at least he thought he did. He also, dare he think it, felt something other than contempt for his brother. It wasn't love by any stretch, it was a feeling more than tolerance, but he didn't have a word for it yet. He would have to revisit that subject. All he knew was that Inuyasha had a right to his life, a life that was more difficult than he ever fathomed, and regret. Regret over his many attempts at trying to take his life.

 _Is this Sesshomaru's face appropriate?_ He questioned himself, looking around the chamber and feeling self conscious. He knew his expression had to be unsuitably passive, unmoved in the presence of sheer sadness. Even more than usual, his outer appearance was rigid.

He noticed Kagome staring at himself. Her eyes were still watery but she no longer cried. She looked as if she were expecting something from him, and he wondered if he were supposed to say something to her as he watched her bottom lip quiver. It was something that had bothered him. He couldn't put his finger on it, her sadness, why it concerned him and why, just briefly, he was compelled to do something about it.

But he had a problem.

 _I don't know what to do,_ he admitted to himself, face steeled, unreadable.

Wrath would have been soothing. It was a comfortable emotion to summon; he knew it all too well and often relished in its familiarity, but something else careened into his psyche. It sat upon his chest, constricting, _I know this sensation,_ he reflected with a subtle squint, _angst. I haven't felt this since…_

Perhaps some thoughts are best left repressed, like some of what he witnessed today, or rather, his own memories from his youth that he vaulted away.

Kagome had picked the best time to pull herself away from the visions. It got worse. Both he and Ishiyaya saw it to the very end. Shiro, in the midst of his mania, turned to discovering new ways to end his life. When cutting his throat and body didn't work, he had then ran to the western border, to the highest point of a cliff and tossed himself over. When that also failed, he crawled to the shore along the far west. Slow at first, his limbs broken, he gradually moved faster and faster to the twangy scritch of reattaching tendons, to the dull pop of joints rejoining sockets, until he reached the ocean and jumped in.

But Gin had stopped him, told him his life wasn't his to take. He dragged him, kicking, screaming and begging Gin to kill him, all the way back to his wretched post.

It got worse.

Sesshomaru couldn't imagine how that were possible, but it did.

Shiro, desperate and out of options, had walked to the cherry blossom tree he had passed by countless times. There he sat and he didn't move. _Ever_. He remained sitting there even as summer turned into fall. Occasionally he cried out, sometimes covering his face with his hands, and eventually, those hands started to thin, taking the appearance of an animated skeleton. At times, the dry rustle of his hands struggling to sift through neglected hair was heard, getting snagged between splintered claws, tangled, dull and in patches.

Sesshomaru went frigid with appall when he realized what was happening. It had elevated him to new levels of what constituted horror. It was by far one of the most disturbing things that touched him that day. _He resorted to starving himself just to find death_ , he recalled with dread.

Perhaps one of the worse ways for one to see themselves out this world, but in a way that would have made Gin, _That traitorous Gin_ , he had yelled from within during, powerless.

 _Gin_ , he thought bitterly, _lowly...psychotic_ , _Ishiyaya's father… would be killed if he tried something like that today. Trying to produce so many high borns… and for what purpose? To see most slain as they fight for dominance?_

"Sesshomaru," Kagome said delicately, trying to gently pull him from his musings. She imagined, judging by his increasingly heated glare into nothingness, that he was also having difficulties with his past.

 _Why was he so obsessed with that? He is the likely reason why there can only be one heir per ruler today._ He continued on, ignoring Kagome, _I could stir quite the scandal if I shared any of this. In particular among those who refuse to keep quiet about a distant cousin with Gin's blood, hmph, maybe even my mother-_

Something dawned on him. _Mother,_ he revoiced with narrowing eyes, _mother had said she was the most tightly bred Daiyoukai in our modern history. She bragged about her blood not having a single drop of common dogs._ He shut his eyes and picked his brain apart for answers. _I should have paid better attention during my history lessons..._

"Sesshomaru," Kagome tried again, this time at least getting him to look at her, "How are you feeling about… all of this?"

To him it was a loaded question. He felt many things. Right now, right then and there, it was anger, an old friend. "I am fine," he lied as he reluctantly recalled some of the things his mother had told him in his past, "Just _fine_." He allowed some of his ire to slip and color his voice. Kagome pulled her head back and wiped away the rest of her tears.

"I don't believe you, but it's okay," she said softly, "I think this is how you handle things that are hard to deal with."

"How I handle things?"

She flashed him a tiny smile, "Yeah, emotional stuff."

He scoffed. "I have no reason to be emotional."

When Sesshomaru said that Kagome had slowly inched her head up until she met his gaze. _Liar_ , she accused internally. It was something she didn't notice at first, but after spending a little time with the demon she was sure that she was starting to pick up on a pattern. He was very good at keeping his face emotionless, that goes without saying, but his eyes, his beautiful eyes, expressed what he did not. Sometimes it was his tone that gave himself away, but looking closely she saw how they betrayed him. He was definitely screening himself from her, and there was something other than anger in them.

Kagome didn't have the mental fortitude to push that issue any further, so she left him to his brooding.

Sesshomaru would have to deal with Kagome later. He was the first to stand, and being a creature of habit, he had also smoothed out his clothing, ridding himself of wrinkles and starting towards the door. He trusted that Ishiyaya would deal with Kagome, with her needs. Since he was of little help, not being in touch with that sort of thing, he made his way back to the social room.

He was looking for something.

Upon entering, he spotted them still sitting on the table-the logs Ishiyaya offered while they were having tea.

What he sought was simple. He wished to discover if what his mother had said about her pristine pedigree were true. More importantly, if it were possible. It shouldn't have been. There were so few female youkai in the beginning, even rarer, thoroughbreds. So how exactly, he wondered, did his mother only have pure Daiyoukai on her side of the family? The logs were still next to the soiled cups, so, he took a seat-in the master's chair-and thumbed through them.

If it weren't for Kagome those books could have possibly killed his curiosity, if his questions were so limited. And although it did keep a record of every dog, Daiyoukai or otherwise-save for you know who-it wasn't much help. It didn't have the answers he were looking for. From the chair, his eyes shifted to the vast selection of transcripts along the walls. Maybe the old dog had something he could conduct his research with. It would have been a welcoming distraction after the evening he had. He set the books down and got up, walking back to where Kagome and Ishiyaya remained.

They were having a conversation, and Kagome, no longer leaning on the wall was sitting next to the elder.

"Kumashiri told me that humans used to live here," Ishiyaya said, in the middle of answering one of the Miko's questions, "I was just a child and not aware of the entire story. He did, however, advise against me sharing that information, in particular the secret half-demons."

"I see," she had replied, in full understanding about why Ishiyaya had kept this secret for so long.

"Ishiyaya," Sesshomaru said, breaking their discussion, "the logs you gave me earlier does not list the founding bloodlines and their offspring."

"Well, they wouldn't."

"Do you have something other than that?"

"I do," she inflicted with wonder, and now giving him a curious look, "but why do you wish to see them?"

"Mother," was all he said with a sour stare, a tone drenched in venom.

Kagome shot him a peculiar look. _Uh, oh. Does he have… mommy issues?_

"Very well," she said lifting her body from the floor, "but you must be careful with these records, they are as ancient as I am and very dear to me."

"I'll come too." Kagome announced, following the two dogs out of the room.

Ishiyaya stood before her shelves and scanned her massive library. It was a mystery how she knew what and where everything was. The books were jumbled and stuffed together, borderline random, and marked with sloppy handwriting. Nonetheless, she did spot what she had been seeking, a stack of thin wooden planks. She summoned them off a shelf and into her hands before unloading it on Sesshomaru.

Ishiyaya was right, the records were old. So ancient that what was written wasn't on paper, a rare item in that day, but rather, the text was written, carved even in some places, on the strips of wood. The characters were outdated. More Chinese Kanji than Japanese, it was from a time when the language was imported via foreign diplomats, before being fully adopted into Japanese writing. It was a challenge to decipher but he did remember most of it. The elder had taught it to him, an elective of sorts, when he were a pup.

Carefully, he undid the binds and laid the strips across a table. They were numbered and expanded across, intended to be viewed from left to right. He stacked all six rectangles side by side and eyed them attentively. He was confident he had remembered a record like this existing. Ishiyaya had tried to get him to read it when he were younger, but it was never an interest of his, and like most youth, he found history quite boring.

The first plank, to the far left, had seven names, and of them were Gin and Hime. The others, excluding Shiro, of course, were all of the dogs who were transcended into Daiyoukai. They were the first demons, and everyone could be traced back to those seven. Each great dog had their names written in bold, so it was easy to see that in the history of their kind there were only three female Daiyoukai, ever. His mother being one of them.

Each of their brackets were traced back to Gin and Hime.

Gin had been busy. He produced twenty-four high borns and one hundred and thirty-three commoners. He single handedly sired more Inuyoukai than any other ruler, taking advantage of demonesses who were willing to birth more pups-unlike today-in addition to relatively lax societal pressures. It was not uncommon in those days for females to be paired with multiple mates. It was rather interesting, considering wolves, another distant ancestor, only has one mating pair, the alpha male and female, whereas Inuyoukai tend to favor a kind of free for all. Well, perhaps all except the royal lines that is.

"What is he looking for?" Kagome had asked Ishiyaya. She was sure that the prince was too enthralled with his task to answer her if she had asked him.

"It's not my place to say…" her voice fading as she looked at the busied heir, "but I suppose it is no secret in our society. You see, Sesshomaru doesn't have the best relationship with his queen mother."

"Oh?" Kagome uttered with raised brows, _So he does have mommy issues._

"Maybe one day, if he so decides it, he'll share that information with you. No one knows for sure why that is."

"Ahem," he cleared with an irritated look, obviously a sore subject for him, "Do you mind?"

The elder exhaled deeply, "See what I mean, Kagome?" The miko nodded, keeping her questions to herself. Not today, but someday she was going to ask him about that herself.

Sesshomaru returned to his research.

Of the twenty something Daiyoukai Gin sired, all were male except for one. _So, after a marathon of romping, he finally got that ever elusive female,_ Sesshomaru thought as he ran his finger down the plank, stopping at her name and trailing across her bracket. _Hat-su. Who were you, Hatsu,_ he mutedly stated, checking the names of her offspring. _Interesting._ Hatsu, daughter of Gin, had produced three pups. Two sons, and remarkably, a rare daughter. It was no surprise to him that Gin also fathered one of those pups. _Just one?_ The first born, son of Gin was named Ken, the second Hiko, and the third, Inukimi, the youngest of the three, his mother, born a great deal later.

There was a note under the second born's name:

'Died at three-hundred and six after a fight with his father.'

Well, that certainly sounded familiar. Too many Daiyoukai coming of age at once had always been bad news. Fathers just tolerated their sons as they grew and matured. Intraspecific conflict was their number one cause of death, always had been. Curious, he followed along Hiko's bracket, wanting to see the name of his father.

What he discovered shook him to his very core, had stalled the saliva he attempted to swallow, and made him hark back to something he had locked away many, many years ago.

Ken, older sibling to Hiko, was also his sire.

 _Throw the entire line away,_ he thought with disgust, incensed, _the entire bloodline is saturated with depravity._ Perhaps, through personal experience, his understanding of male nature, permitted him to more or less readily accept-just barely-Gin's breeding with his daughters. But a mother bedding her own son, her own pup she nurtured and were supposed to have a wholesome bond with, allowing him to mount her… It floored him. It shocked him to such an extent that he looked up from the text, again begrudgingly revisiting repressed memories. _No, it… didn't happen,_ he denied with a hard blink and bringing a knuckle to his lips, _Maybe she…_

He was getting dangerously close to opening that door.

His mother was right. She was the tightest Gin inu around. The conformation? Ken, killer of his very own brother and son was also the father of Inukimi.

And he, Sesshomaru, had that very blood. More than a few distant relatives, more than a few drops the commoners so often bragged about, he had liters of it coursing through his veins.

Dismayed, he looked down at his father's bracket. Inu no Taisho's mother was a common demoness, and his father, of course, was the legendary Inu no Tatakai. Sesshomaru's grandfather, Tatakai, son of Hime, was a demon's demon, a true brute, and arguably the best dog demon that ever lived, period. It was said his true form was so massive it threatened to touch the heavens, and his poweress in battle was unparalleled in his prime, fitting his name, which literally meant "the fighting dog." Sesshomaru was well read in his grandfather, but since this was his first time eyeing a record of this nature, he shifted his gaze to his name to see if there were anything else to discover.

It read:

'He who greeted with fire. A colossal beast. Slayer of Gin and his unhinged offspring. Left nothing alive. Founder of the new Inuyoukai order.'

 _One heir per ruler,_ he said robotically to himself, knowing that already and still reeling from the thought of that mother-son pairing. What he didn't know was who was the father of Tatakai-sama. Under his bracket and listed under dam was Hime, under sire it read "unknown." In fact, Inu no Tatakai was the only second generation Daiyoukai who didn't have a recorded father, and that could have meant only one thing. His sire was Shiro.

What should have been a compelling and joyous discovery had little effect on him. It was too late. Feelings he hadn't felt in years, the reason why he hadn't seen his queen mother, started to shatter his resolve. He didn't know when he had begun to stare into space, or how long Kagome had been gawking at him with concern, but despite her incessant staring it never snapped him from his traumatized stupor.

"Breathe," Kagome said trying to pull him back, "You're freaking me out." He took a breath, and with a subtle shake of his head he returned to the Edo era. "Kami, I never seen you look like that before."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"I have decided to pay mother a visit," Sesshomaru informed an astonished Ishiyaya, "so I must ask of you to watch over Kagome tonight." The elder's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"I seem to have misplaced my words, Sesshomaru-kun."

"Excellent, because I wish to leave immediately," he quipped half-heartedly and with a hint of somber. Something was very wrong with that Sesshomaru.

"Wait a minute," Kagome said as she walked up to him, "I want to come too."

His eyes widened before settling into a squint, " _Absolutely not_."

"But-"

"No," he snapped firmly, "Your safety would not be guaranteed."

"He's right, dearie," Ishiyaya had butted in, "I don't know what you are cooking up," she then said to Sesshomaru, "but if watching over the girl will aid you I'll be more than happy to." He acknowledged her with a small bow.

But then his attention swung to Kagome, taking notice of her disappointed expression, and thinking she almost looked like he scolded her. It was rather interesting because just some nights ago the girl had put up a protest about staying here in his time, staying with himself no less. A stark contrast, but regardless, for her protection he did not want her to accompany him to the Sky Kingdom.

He turned to leave but abruptly came to a halt, remembering something. Kagome had perked up a bit when he turned around, hoping that he had reconsidered, but she soon realized that his word was bond. Instead, he took his mokomoko off his shoulders and gently, tenderly, draped it over hers. He adjusted it just so, fluffing it around her delicate neck and wrapping it behind her. And when one end nearly touched the floor he almost broke their no contact rule by reaching for her hands.

Ishiyaya leaned forward, watching with pursed lips before looking away, lest she disturb what was going on. _Oh, my,_ she reiterated inwardly, _I_ _bet the girl doesn't know what this gesture means_.

"A promise is a promise," Sesshomaru explained vaguely, leaving for real this time.

Kagome listened to the rap of his footsteps as he climbed the stairs, looking blankly into the gloomy stairwell. _Promise?_ She tried to recall, _Oh, right._ She remembered, _that promise._ Strange how she forgot so quickly, especially when it was her idea in the first place. Sesshomaru had side eyed her when she requested it, to sleep with his pelt each night she had to stay in the feudal era. _What the heck did he read earlier?_ She wondered to the sensation of his cooling fur. It was certainly questionable behavior.

"Say, dearie," Ishiyaya interrupted her thoughts, "do you know what it means when an Inuyoukai offers his pelt to you?"

"No, why?"

The elder chuckled.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

As Sesshomaru glided through the night, he tried to think of a time when he were last happy, or at least, to a time when he were allowed to express more than a limited range of emotion. It was something that needed a lot of thought, but he was sure he had been a child. He did, however, clearly remember when his mother had started to groom those otherwise normal traits out of him.

He grimaced as he harked back to a certain day four-hundred and eighty-four years ago, he was a young demon, about five or six in appearance when compared to ningen children.

His queen mother, Inukimi, had been preparing him for a social event and like everything else in her life, she wanted her son to be perfect as well. Unfortunately for Sesshomaru, that meant his childhood had to be brief.

"Unacceptable. You are not minding your posture," Inukimi's eloquent voice reprimanded, "again," she ordered looking down at a little Sesshomaru.

Like all children being scolded by their mother, Sesshomaru looked up at her with hurt reflected in his large eyes. His tall forehead only exemplified his cuteness, and his small chin was the peak that rounded off his face, making it favor a heart. And with his white hair reaching and sitting on his shoulders he was undeniably a striking child. But his charms seemed to have no effect on his mother.

"Yes, mother," he had replied in a small voice and with his head low. His mother corrected that as well.

"Hold your head high, Sesshomaru," he did, "And now, show me your gait again."

Sesshomaru stood in place, straight and instantly pacified his face, just as his Inukimi taught him. He stiffened his posture, pulled back his shoulders and tilted his head ever so. Still, she was not pleased. She graciously floated over to her pup and poked him with a claw, her jabbing correcting flaws only she had a knack for spotting.

Then, with tact and poise, he strutted. Controlled, yet nonchalant, his stride had a kind of pliability often seen in children, lacking a certain bravado that later developed with age, but it was still impeccable. He was short, but still looked down on the world.

Much to the pleasure of his mother.

"Your name suits you," she bombasted as he continued to walk, "you are perfection, Sesshomaru." He absorbed her words, taking each one to heart, "You have no equal, you step aside for no one, nor does your gaze steer off its course. You are better than all. Never forget that."

Still moving perfectly, he turned around and walked back, stopping in front of her and with his face undaunted. She looked down at him with judgemental eyes, analyzing, looking for something else to amend. Finding nothing else to chastise, she blessed him with a smirk that was scarcely there, and try as he might, Sesshomaru couldn't help but allow his eyes to grow big. The euphoria he felt seeing her approval, her praise, exhilarated him so much that he couldn't contain a fanged smile.

But it was short lived. A questioning brow quickly wiped it away and he immediately reset his expression.

"Well done," Inukimi lauded smoothly, "I believe you are ready." Sesshomaru had done so well his mother decided that he deserved a reward, the ultimate motivation, a show of affection that she knew he adored. She extended her hand and drew him in, permitting him to wrap his arms around her leg as she lovingly stroked him behind his ear.

He practically melted.

When the evening he had been preparing for arrived, he touted down a long hallway that led to the dining area, next to his mother and to the sound of astonished murmuring. He wore a child's kimono, armor free, formal like his mother's, and with his hair pulled into a ponytail. He was looking straight ahead, never so much as glancing at anything else other than the doorway, also like Inukimi.

The Inuyoukai who lined the walls of the corridor weren't high borns, but they were still members of high society, and therefore needed to be impressed. At least that's what his mother had told him.

And impress them he did, many times throughout the years.

On his two-hundredth birthday-now looking to be roughly sixteen-he walked down that very hallway, still alongside his mother but no longer just reaching her hip.

Now, he stood over her, his profile starting to take its adult form, his jaw widening, strengthening, shoulders broadening and with eyes that were now flawlessly in proportion with his face. The prince's hair had grown significantly longer, not yet reaching down his legs like today, but cascading and resting in the middle of his back. Glossy and perfectly maintained, his loose hair sashayed as he strode, and now, unlike when he were a pup learning the ropes, his gait rocked with a subtle and confident swagger, a testament to the testosterone surging throughout his developing body.

He was coming of age.

And even after so many years he still held his mother's words close to his heart. Moving aside for no one, not even family, and looking at nothing else but where he intended to go.

Well, usually.

On this day, however, when he spotted her, a pretty Inuyoukai of similar age, he eyed her out of the corner of his eye as he walked past her. The girl jolted back with surprise, thinking her mind were playing tricks on her. The young heir looking at her? Unheard of.

But he had been and still did so as the girl and her family sat down and joined him for dinner. Sesshomaru's gaze made her movements rigid with discomfort throughout the entire dinner, and when she finally had the courage to return his her pulse spiked, he was smirking at her. Having understood his approval she flirtatiously flipped her hair.

Most of the teen's subtle exchanges went unnoticed as the adults busied themselves with boring conversation, something about ningen causing a racket as they fought amongst themselves, but there was someone who witnessed what was going on-Inukimi.

It was a day she had dreaded for decades. Sesshomaru awakening and showing interest in females. Sure, she knew it was certainly normal, but Inukimi just couldn't stand the thought of her son romping with such an inferior Inuyoukai. It mattered not that they were valuable members of their society, high class. She just didn't want her Sesshomaru, the killing perfection, the greatest heir ever born thus far to have to resort to bedding common dogs. He deserved the very best and the general's daughter was not it.

Unable to reprimand him in front of so many guests, she brooded-no different from her normal resting bitch face really-and pulled an ired sip of sake. The girl's reception to her son's attention wasn't shocking in the least, of course she would be, and at this rate he would no longer be a virgin by the end of the night.

Inuyoukai move quickly with one another, especially at their ages. Love was of no consequence, it wasn't encouraged that strongly anyway. It was a good way to ensure that frustrated young dogs didn't destroy the royal estate.

But how was she going to go about handling this? Sesshomaru still held her opinion and words up with high esteem, in despite of his tendency to be ornery with most, his father even. Inukimi was going to have to be clever for this predicament. Trying to convince an excitable young heir to not sow his royal oats? Good, Kami, she needed another drink.

Later that night two youths had managed to slip away from the glare of a certain queen mother. They strolled next to one another, in the garden and surprisingly not saying much at all. Truth be told not much needed to be said if their scents were any indication. Sesshomaru had been admiring the young demoness all evening, and although he weren't exactly sure what he should have been doing, he just knew that he was supposed to and was going to do _something_. He wasn't entirely nervous. Really, he was unfamiliar with that feeling anyway, but he was a little anxious. Sure that on that night, finally, he was going to relieve himself of his nagging desires, of an ache that compelled him to stroke himself each night, right there, right with that lovely inu.

Confident they were out of the reach of prying eyes, the young master forced the girl to stop walking and stood before her, eyeing her up, and looking down at her with unfiltered wanting.

Although it were a lie, she played coy with him and elevated her head, looking away. Sesshomaru, instinctively had started to circle around her, holding his gaze and deliberately manipulating his gait. His upper body stiff, chest pushed slightly forward, it countered his lower body. From his waist down, he lifted his legs higher than what was necessary, though it was subtle, and with each stride he encouraged her to cast her judgement.

As if that were needed.

Still, it was something Inuyoukai tended to do when confirming interest.

The youkai swifty gave her answer. She reached out and briefly fondled the pelt on his shoulders as he ambled around her once more, his body language more or less saying 'look how fit I am.'

It was at that moment his mother happened on them, watching from a gate that led into the garden. Needless to say she was not happy to see her son in the middle of peacocking for an unworthy demoness, but she didn't want to barge out there herself. Conspiring, she looked down the walkway and saw that a stoic guard was on duty, unfazed, unaware of what the prince was doing.

"Guard," she whispered, gesturing him to come to her, "tell my son that I request his person in my chamber immediately."

"At once, Lady Inukimi."

"And guard," she crooned with malice, "spread the word among your lot. Make sure that girl is never permitted into the palace ever again."

"Yes, right away, my Lady."

Quickly, silently, she made her way back to her personal chambers and waited for Sesshomaru.

He was not pleased when he learned that his activity had to be cut short, and all because his mother had beckoned. What made matters worse was that the guard couldn't explain why she requested him, and why his pretty little thing was roughly escorted out.

 _Dammit,_ he seethed, frustrated and traveling down the corridor to his mother's room. When he reached her door, he took a minute for himself, willing his erection to go away before irritatedly sliding the door open.

His mother was sitting at a small table, sipping tea, unbothered and pretending to read her scrolls. She didn't acknowledge him until he were standing in the middle of her lavishly decorated bedroom, glaring down at her.

"Yes, mother…" he deadpanned.

"Come," she calmly sailed over his anger, "sit at my dresser, I want to fix your hair."

"My hair? You summoned me away from… some business I was attending to groom this Sesshomaru?"

Inukimi let out a small aristocratic laugh, "You are two-hundred, you have no 'business,'" she quipped, standing up and moving to him, "I will not repeat myself, Sesshomaru."

Resentfully, he did as he was told and sat down at her vanity. Looking in the mirror he supposed he did appear a little unkempt, that girl had been running her fingers through his hair, nonetheless, looking untidy was something mother detested with all of her being. But there had to have been some other purpose for him to be summoned to her room. Honestly, the help, their numerous servants could have done this, but for one reason or another she desired to do it herself.

Inukimi moseyed over, standing behind him as he watched her from the mirror. She then took her comb, a fancy one made of emeralds, and began the task of ridding his hair of tangles.

"When did you get so big..." she expressed vaguely, reverently going through his thick silk, "it seems like it were just yesterday when you only stood up to my hip."

"Mother," he said with a sigh, annoyed that this was the reason his night came to an end, "you have had hundreds of years to accept my change, why does this bother you now?"

"What mother is happy to see her pup all grown up?"

"Exactly," Sesshomaru said as he tried to turn and look at her, but only to have her hand swing his head straight, "I am all grown up and should not be treated like a child anymore."

Inukimi, leaning forward, was hovering next to the pointed shell of his ear, she glanced in the mirror as she spoke. "All grown up, you say?" Her words velveteen, "Then I suppose you are too old to enjoy a scratch behind the ears?"

He pulled away from their reflection and turned to look at the real her. She was unusually close to his face and smirking. "You…" he trailed off, studying her features, "you haven't stroked me in years."

Her chuckle was low and laced with lure, "My dear son, I asked if you were too old to enjoy a caress behind your ears."

His eyes trembled left to right, processing, searching for an answer, but the data had been mislaid in the depth of his mind.

"Let us find out," she charmed while taking her clawed hand to his scalp. Slowly, she dragged them through his hair, watching as his eyes briefly rolled to the ceiling, closing and smiling when he opened them and caught her gaze. When she stopped just behind his ear, he involuntarily shuddered and stifled a sharp intake of air. "No, it doesn't appear that you're immune to this quite yet," she then jested.

Sesshomaru tried to say something, but his words were long gone, missing in action the instant her motions began. He gave it another go and the only thing he could muster up was the crack of a vowel being butchered in half.

"How unbecoming of you, Sesshomaru."

"Mother," he finally said, breathless, his voice was cut short now that she took two hands to his head. He turned back to the mirror, looking through it and wanting to see her intentions himself. Again, she smirked at him and leaned over, by design, and so that that her breast could be pressed against his shoulders.

Something had begun to stir within himself. The very stir he felt earlier with that girl he wanted to fuck so badly, he was feeling it again, to his horror and with his mother.

It disturbed him. He thought of himself as some kind of deviant for interpreting her wholesome caresses as something to be aroused about. His body grew tense, around his neck, and consequently he started to writhe in his seat.

This was turning him on, severely, but oh, how he loathed it. He wondered why his body betrayed him in such a way, why something so innocent had triggered him.

Of course, his mother knew exactly what she were doing. Males his age only required the wind to blow a certain way to be ready, but she had conjured up a plan, this had a purpose. If she could gradually get him used to the idea of feeling comfortable with expressing his sexuality with her, then she, the only other female Daiyoukai in the Western Kingdom, the only one who were truly worthy of laying down with this magnificent beast, would have him as her mate as well. Options were limited. It's not like his father was going to mate with another Inuyoukai just for the rare chance at the pup being born female. It was the best solution should could come up with, or rather, what she wanted to that is.

It was also a plan that had to commence immediately, while he still remained pathetically inexperienced, completely ignorant of the true demoness form and while aching with need. If she could push him to his limit, push him to a place where lust could shatter blood bonds, she could make him hers. A victim of his lust, unable to discern-or care-about her being his mother.

"They are unworthy of you, Sesshomaru."

"They…" he fought to say, "who are they?"

"Those other demonesses, the common borns."

"They…" he repeated, distracted, voice unsteady. He was losing it, his resolve. Or maybe he never brought it back in from the garden.

Inukimi grabbed his face, taking her index and thumb between his jaw and ensuring he could only look into the mirror. "Look at yourself. Perfection. You think those harlots are good enough for you?"

"I wanted her," he uttered choppily, his heart pounding.

"You are…" she emphasized with her voice fading away, "...too good for them. If you knew what you really wanted you wouldn't have wasted your time with her."

"I know what I want."

"Oh? And what do you want, Sesshomaru?" Upon asking and still holding his jaw in her grasp, her other hand trailed down his neck, slithering over his shoulders and resting onto his chest. "Answer me," she dared him, "or are you just going to sit there with your mouth hanging open?" She could feel him straining to turn his head, but looks were deceiving, she was still stronger than he.

"I want…" … _your hand to go lower_ , Sesshomaru revealed secretly, not daring to say what was really on this mind. It didn't make it any better. Saying it from within, his mind so quickly jumping to that first, it was too much and he wasn't sure how he would react from that point on. "...to get up. I really want to get up." She barely registered him standing, that's how swifty he moved. "Good night, mothe-ahem. Good night."

Just like that he bolted out of her room. And it was certainly an intriguing sight. For the first time in Kami knows when his stride was unsteady and he had glanced back at her on his way out the door.

But his mother supposed it couldn't have been an easy task, running and while also concealing an erection at the same time.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Sesshomaru exhaled as he traveled ever closer to his mother's Kingdom, he was almost there, about another half hour or so away.

Try as he might, everything he had repressed, forced himself to forget had came rushing back to him. He was positive the events that soon followed his two-hundredth birthday had more than likely caused some kind of damage. He feared that it ruined him. Coming of age was anything but normal for him. And because of that, he suspected his personality would be forever carved into stone.

He remembered it like it were yesterday.

For days he avoided his mother after the incident in her bedroom. He couldn't understand her behavior, he had no reference for it, so he were compelled to believe there as something very wrong with himself. All he knew was that it awakened something in him, something that left him staring at the ceiling-like he were doing now-of his own bedroom at night. And while he didn't touch himself to the image of his mother, Kami forbid, he did relive the sensations she gave him, how she made him feel.

He wanted that. He wanted to experience that again, but this time with another Inuyoukai. But his mother told him no one were worthy of him. _So what am I supposed to do?_ What could he have done? To his understanding, he suspected his mother was trying to tell him that only another Daiyoukai, a female, would be his equal. But there weren't any others that he knew of. How long was he supposed to wait until her unlikely birth? More concerning, if she was born, he would have to wait hundreds of years for the female to come of age himself.

 _It's not fair_. He desired to do what every other Inuyoukai his age were doing, but he strongly believe that his mother was wise, and that it would be against his best interest, dishonorable even to disregard her advice, despite it being rather isolating. _Whatever,_ he exhaled as he wrapped his hand around his hard member.

The next day, Inukimi decided on having tea in the garden, seeing that it was a good place for one to think. She was plotting about what to do next. Her little situation with her son was going to be more challenging than she thought. He was purposely avoiding her. Skipping meal times only to later have the help whip him up something, tracking her scent and taking alternative routes to common areas in the palace-really it was irritating. She distinctly remembered teaching him otherwise as a boy.

Sesshomaru, like herself, was stubborn. He was going to have to be persuaded a bit more, meaning that she was going to have to be more aggressive with him. She doubted she would be able to successfully call him to her room again, so she toyed with the idea going to him, perhaps late in the evening when the castle was calm…

And that she did.

On that night, she levitated off the floor as she made her way to his room, suppressing her scent as she went. Unlike her son, she actually bothered to knock instead of busting up in the joint. For a moment, the slip of silken sheets was heard rubbing against each other, and it wasn't until the room grew silent that the occupant finally answered.

He was pissed.

"The kingdom better be under siege," he warned in a deep voice.

Inukimi giggled mutedly, finding his dramatics most amusing, "You dare threaten your mother?" She could practically hear him paling in the heavy silence that followed.

"Mother? What do you want at this hour?"

To that question she opened the door and walked in. Sesshomaru, dressed in a thin ivory colored yukata, was standing in the middle of his bedroom. Inukimi was impressed with his control, it seemed to have resurfaced and he gave her no emotion, well, almost. Under his eyes and just above his nose, he quivered ever so slightly. _Let's see how well you keep that wall intact,_ she taunted interiorly.

 **Yeah, I went there. Sorry if I disturbed anyone. The next chapter will be just as long and tart with lemon. Hmm, but try and guess who's lemony freshness it'll be...**


	19. Essential Grooming

**I'll let this chapter speak for itself.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **OoOoOoOoOo**

A sliver of the moon's light shone through the skylight window, swathing the two youkai in a fluorescent silver that in return amplified their ethereal features. And while their eyes shared the same golden hue, they were similar for another obvious reason.

Sesshomaru's yukata offered some modesty, but it still wasn't a garment that was intended to be worn from outside one's personal quarters. The collar, thick and double stitched, loosely encircled his neck, leaving his collarbone out on full display while allowing a remnant of pectoral to peak from underneath. A thin sash held it in place, clinging to his form and emphasizing his shoulder to waist ratio. It was lengthy-not as long as the one his mother wore-but it did stop a few inches below his knees.

Inukimi was dressed properly. Her yukata was casual yet perfectly acceptable to wear throughout the castle -assuming there were no formal guests to impress that is. Hanging off her shoulders was one mokomoko, the other clung to her hips.

Naturally, for his comfort, he wore nothing underneath, and hence for that reason, it was why he felt uncomfortable. It was rather exposing, inappropriate even, to be in the presence of a lady, his mother no less, and with just that material separating them. He wished he thought to drape his pelt around himself instead of leaving it spread out across his bed, it would have made him feel more secure, if just marginally.

He tried to convince himself, that he, that Sesshomaru, had no reason to feel what he considered misguided nervousness, specifically when she stepped to his person. He could, however, feel his face twitching as she approached, vowing to prove himself a liar as he looked down at her. That was when an entity, perhaps his conscience, told him to hold his sleeping robe in place, just to be sure.

"Is there a reason for your avoidance?" Inukimi inquired silkenly. She observed her son tentatively, taking joy in pinpointing where the gears started to spin in his head as he conjured up a suitable excuse.

"Avoiding?" Inukimi heard him repeat. She knew that he were stalling to perfect his imminent lie. "Why…" His baritone cracked, more tenor than its usual tone, so he cleared his throat before continuing, "...would I have any reason to avoid you, mother?" Deflection, lies-all tactics she was familiar with, but this was child's play to her. He still required more years to hone what she had already centuries ago.

"You tell me, Sesshomaru," she stated mockingly, knowingly. To him it seemed misplaced, interpreted as: danger uncertainty ahead, "it has been a week since you last joined me for a meal," she added with feigned hurt that also sounded genuine, "and I find myself missing your presence."

He felt like such an asshole for avoiding and ignoring his mother. And all because he were some degenerate hentai, a perverse sleazebag who couldn't control himself and thought to solve the problem by avoiding it-her. But he had swore to himself that it was not his will, believed it with every ounce and fiber of his celestial being that it was not desired. Not once did he think of her that way, and even though his body reacted otherwise, he chalked it up as nothing more than a primal response to physical touch.

 _Steady-_ "My apologies, mother. I find myself distracted these days."

Half truth. She felt elated to hear him say it though. "What has you so distracted that you cannot bother to see your mother?"

To that he just stared at her. Sesshomaru had a suspicion that he were not a very good liar, never having a reason to be one. Instead of lying, he decided that in its place he would offer her silence. Hoping that she would say something that he would be able to use as a reference for a reply, and so that he didn't have to think around the sensation of his flipping stomach.

"Something is troubling you, isn't it? Is that why you are so distracted?" It took all of her strength to hold her grin as the throb of his pounding heart superseded his quickened breath. His body tossed itself so far left that she could even see the twitch of his pulse under his skin.

And though it were subtle, a quick glance, he noticed when her gaze flashed to his throat and then back to his eyes. He could sense the steel that was once his face starting to weaken, warping from the pressure and in need of emergency reinforcement, but there was no escape route, her leer held fast to him.

A true distraction was needed, so, he turned to look at his mokomoko with inconsolable and anguished longing, concentrating, willing the mass to move, _needing_ it to move so he could proceed to wrap it tightly around his neck. Maybe snug enough to mute his heartbeat, if not to stop it all together...because...she was getting closer, and just as his pelt began to stir too.

He hardly registered her moving towards him at first, the out most edge of his vision was hazy with black by that point, but it was the moonlight and its glow sliding off her profile that made him notice. It casted one half of her face in the shadows as she stepped ever closer, backlighting a youkai shaped silhouette with an eerily predaceous glint in its eyes.

"I know you are struggling with something," Inukimi insisted, "let me comfort you," she then enticed as she opened her arms.

Sesshomaru swore he heard it - his brain hitting every nook and cranny on its way down to the bottom of his skull. Now this was just _bizarre_. First she wanted to stroke him behind the ear and now she insinuated that she wished to "comfort" himself with an embrace? What year was it? He just about questioned his own age.

"That will not be necessary." It was remarkable how normal he sounded.

"Perhaps, not for you," she voiced over the panic in his head, "but for me it is. I've had such an insufferable week worrying about you. One hug from you, my son, would do wonders for me."

That's it. He had to address it first.

"There is the matter of my _dress_."

"It is of no consequence," she dismissed as she reached out and pulled the hand that held his silk tight to his waist. Then, in one smooth motion she looped her arms under his and drew him close, very close. He kept his arms stiff-like his posture-to his side and leaned backwards, trying to put some distance between the two of them as his chin found itself resting on the top of her head.

One second into their embrace, Sesshomaru was mortified to learn that this was no hug he remembered giving her as a boy. _Those_ hugs certainly didn't involve breast to chest contact and definitely no stomach to crotch contact either. He distinctly remembered there being a lot more space between them.

Two seconds into their embrace, he felt her hand slide up the small of his muscled back and wind itself around his hair. He also felt her chest heave as she forced him to pivot his head, exposing his hammering pulse to her.

Three seconds into their embrace, the pelt around her shoulders came to life and crawled up his chest, in route to his face, nuzzling against his markings upon arriving and taking his voice away for its trouble.

Four seconds into their embrace, his breath caught in his throat. Sesshomaru was ignorant about most things relating to intimacy but he instinctively knew what _that_ implied. This wasn't a case of him being some variety of a pervert, he was right to steer clear of her - this was staggeringly inappropriate behavior from his mother.

Five seconds into their embrace, he had stopped counting as she swayed her hips on his stiffening member, writhing, grinding on his lower body and making him woozy with lust spiked revulsion. It triggered something deep from within, impelling, willing him to react to her effort. His own hips rocked against her, compulsorily, much to his dismay but to the delight of Inukimi.

"Wait-" Breathless, it was all he could manage to get out. She glanced up at him, her eyes opaque, laden with the same heated allure the general's daughter had gave him. "No," he warbled, having lost all control over the range of his voice. How, he fretted, how was it possible for one's heart to pound with alarm and lewdness?

Sesshomaru again tried to pull himself away from her but she just wouldn't let go, her will - or rather her strength - oppressed his. For a moment he fantasized about the day when his power would eventually surpass her own, so she would never be able to do something like this to him again. He swore to himself, to his soul, to his pelt that laid uselessly over there on his bed that he would soon kill her than to allow this wicked trend to continue.

 _She seeks this reaction from me._

His every wriggle, an attempt to pry himself free, only forced her sonsy figure closer to his, inducing friction that threatened to entice him to thrust forward. But he held his position, fighting the urge and locking his hips in place. He strained, trembling like a bullet was caught up in his gun, determined not to move and while personally cheering on his durable resolve. Ah, his resolve, his ethics, precious as it was, it never left him, it merely took a wrong turn on its way back from his limbic lobe, and, it returned with demands too. What did his morals want? It wanted him to surrender, relinquishing full control to its ambassador, his brain.

And so, in a tangled and crowded moment, he reached up and took ahold of his mother's shoulders, his claws catching, digging, piercing the fine fabric as he flexed with all that he had to give.

He shoved her the fuck off of himself and held her at bay.

He could feel her stare, but Sesshomaru couldn't even bare to look her in the eye. With his arms outstretched, still holding her, his head hung low between them, hair hanging, damp and clinging together, the ends swayed only because his pulse stirred the strands from their very roots. He made it his personal business to separate his hips from hers; pulling himself back far enough to allow his robe to give off as much slack as possible around his waist. Ensuring that she could not see the print of his erection, and guaranteeing that she wouldn't be able to reach out and grasp it either. At this stage he suspected that was next, and if she so dared, it would have warranted a closed fist to her face.

" _Why_?" She heard him question with a depressed and sorrow laden voice. He wanted to say more to her, but he was now in the middle of battling with something far more devastating - his breaking heart. The quintessentail love he had for was now painted with black, tarnished, forfeited the moment he realized her gestures were of a heinous nature. She took advantage of what little fondness he still had for her, moments he held dear to his heart, and worse, his reference for what constituted genuine affection.

" _Hold your head high, Sesshomaru,"_ was her cold and apathetic reply.

Her words hit him harder than his father's reprimanding paw and claimed the sharp air in his constricted lungs. The fact that this was nothing more than additional grooming, the fact that his ice queen of a mother didn't care, didn't have an ounce of sorry in her… It shattered him. He flinched at the sensation of his heart ripping itself in half. And when he lifted his head and finally looked _it_ in its face, he didn't see an inu. He saw a snake. A snake with poison far more venomous than what any Kami could have ever bestowed upon their race.

"Get out," he gritted with frustrated hurt and a shove that nearly made her fall down, "I would prefer to stay unmolested tonight."

 _Hn? How disappointing. I was certain he were ready to pop just moments ago._ Things definitely weren't going as she planned on that night. Inukimi expected some apprehension from her son, but this? Never. _When did young inuyoukai develop so much self control?_ She wondered. More importantly, where did Sesshomaru get the gall that told him it were acceptable to shove his mother towards the door?

 _Teenagers and their outbursts_ , she bantered in her head and while also looking at her torn silk. _Ruined_. It was one of her favorite garments too, and now she had to return to her room looking _unkempt_. Unfortunately for Sesshomaru, his mother decided that his behavior would have to be corrected. She looked deceptively calm as she took a calculating step, taciturnly, towards his defiant posturing. This was something that would not be tolerated. So long as he remained physically weaker than her, Inukimi felt that she was free to punish him as she saw fit. Though, she never had to strike him before, like his father did after a boys being boys incident. Really, he was so obedient before his change.

She struck him across his face anyway. It was a cruel and vicious smack that caught his flesh under her claws. He stumbled, the blow almost knocking him off his feet and leaving him with wounds that bled deeply. And though his gashes did begin to heal soon after, it hurt his spirit in more ways than the two youkai could ever imagined. He just stood there, crestfallen, watching her turn to leave, forever breaking away from her as grief numbed his face.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"That brat," Ishiyaya said shaking her head, "being secretive isn't enough for him, he has to be vague too."

Sitting in the social room, Kagome and Ishiyaya were in the middle of discussing the matter of Sesshomaru's fur. The elder couldn't help herself, she just had to see if the girl knew how profound the gesture was to Inuyoukai. Clearly, things were starting to get very interesting between the two species.

"I didn't know there was more to it," she admitted while absentmindedly stroking the cool pelt. It was still nice, though she did prefer the warmth it ebbed when he were near, "all he told me was that it's an extension of his youki or something."

Ishiyaya smiled. "Oh, but there is plenty more. Yes, it is an extension of his demonic energy, but that isn't its only purpose."

"Hm? It has more than one purpose?"

"Yes, you see…" she had hesitated for a moment to consider what she was going to share with the human. She thought that since Sesshomaru allowed her to see into his past he probably wouldn't be too sore about her learning about this either. "You are stroking the vessel to his true form."

Kagome pulled her head back with a blink, her hand hovering over the fur. _Wait a minute._ "I'm not sure I understand."

Ishiyaya merely nodded, she figured as much.

"Dearie, he cannot change into his true form without that pelt. It contains the necessary energy required to summon and sustain his beast," the old dog explained to a now wide eyed Kagome. She adored the girl's reaction, how she looked down at his essence with wonder. Humans were so easily impressed, all kinds of demons stored excess power in such a way. "Furthermore, the ability to heal and fly are two other youki taxing abilities. Perhaps the most demanding. It taps directly into the source."

The Miko's mouth hung open. _And he just let me have it?_

Ishiyaya looked to be thinking as she rubbed her wrinkled chin. "Come to think of it, if he's flying to his mother's palace without his mokomoko, I would imagine he cannot afford to dally."

Kagome stiffened in her seat. "Can't afford to dally? You don't mean... what happens if he's...I don't know, flying without his pelt for too long?"

"He could exhaust the demonic energy he carries within his body, and quite literally fall from the sky," she answered matter of factly. Kagome was stunned. Sesshomaru falling out the sky like some clipped bird? She could hardly imagine him stumble, let alone fall, "and there would be no rapid regeneration if he were injured from such a fall. Although...I don't believe he would die, a common dog might however." Much to the relief of the girl.

The prince was a jerk, cold for reasons unbeknownst to her, but she didn't want him to get hurt needlessly. Well, maybe on that fateful day at the enchanted portal when he popped out issuing commands she did, but not now. She wasn't sure why, and honestly he had yet to prove otherwise, but she suspected that if she spent more time with him he could start to grow on her.

Guilt began to tumble around in her stomach, guilt she felt over a promise he probably didn't feel comfortable with in the first place. If he ended up getting hurt over her foolishness… She didn't know what she would do. Perhaps Sesshomaru was right, she had been "discourteous." The youkai who _so kindly_ demanded her to teach him the ins and out of friendship immediately picked up on her being a poor one. Not just once, at least several times.

When Ishiyaya noticed the tremble of self reflection and worry in Kagome's eyes she cleared her throat and continued on. It was obviously something she didn't want to share, and that was okay. A lifetime worth of secrets were revealed that day anyway.

"But it would take him some time to heal just using what reserves he has in his body. A few weeks or so," the elder reassured her, "But that is why I'm shocked, truth be told, that he left it with you like it were nothing more than that thing you call a jacket hanging over there."

"To be honest it surprised me at first too. He was the one who first offered it to me."

"You're telling me he just offered it to you on his own accord? This is a _promise_ he forced himself under?" The elder asked with a quirked brow.

"It was cold that night and I didn't have my jacket to keep me warm..."

"I see." _I guess his highness did take after his father a little. Imagine that._

"...and after calling me pathetic he gave it to me," Kagome recalled with a soft snort that ended with a tiny smile. "If it were just some ordinary fur I wouldn't have made him promise," she admitted looking at her feet, "but that night, when he first gave it to me, it didn't just keep me warm, I felt...I don't know how to explain this, it sort of thrummed?" _And it felt amazing against my body_ , she soundlessly added and on the brink of blushing.

The old Inuyoukai just about flinched to what the girl had said. If she had been wearing pearls she would have been clutching them. Ishiyaya wasn't a prude per se, she had some good lays in her day-around the iron age-but that was definitely something Kagome would have kept to herself if she knew what it meant.

It was also something she suspected that Sesshomaru and Kagome would be better off discovering on their own...

"Say, Dearie," Ishiyaya desperately needed to change the subject, "would you care for some tea?"

"You are too kind, I'd love some," Kagome bowed as the old dog stood, "and as thanks let me share some of my snacks with you."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Sesshomaru was in the middle of cursing Kagome.

 _Damn that girl and her stupid promise._

He found himself having to put effort into sustaining his speed at that altitude. His armor and swords felt anchored to his body, burdening and weighing himself down. The Daiyoukai's endeavor to his mother's sky kingdom should have been no more taxing than a casual stroll through the forest, but the sheen on his forehead proved he had to work that much harder.

The ping of fatigue was alien, offensive, and only managed to further tick him off the more he lingered on the subject. So, rather than do that, he took another trip down memory lane, and just as the corner of his mouth twisted into a haughty smirk.

He remembered being in a state of shock for several days after his sexual assault. Some of it were hazy, but he recalled himself sitting in his bedroom, at a table he too tended to have a cup of tea at.

Like any other morning, the help came a knockin' with tea in tow. This servant, the one who fetched his daily brew, had always been the same old inuyoukai. He figured she were at least eight-thousand or so, just a guess, but he didn't pay too much attention to them in general anyway. They were trained to move swiftly and silently, blending into the background and leaving before they were noticed.

Sesshomaru watched the steam as it drifted from his tea.

Still reeling from the "lost" of his mother, he had an unhinged and demented look in his eyes, as if he were staring at the devil himself, sitting across the table, and raising a toast to his malfeasance. Shaking his head, he pulled himself back from space and wearily reached for his drink. Unable to steady his trembling hand-and not wanting to risk a spill-he picked up the saucer as his nerves made it rap against the ceramic, clinking unevenly as he took a single turbulent and choppy sip. He didn't feel the soothing burn of the liquid as it rolled down his throat, his mind was running away again, going back to the look Inukimi had in her eyes when she struck him.

That level of deceit was as loathsome as it were impressive, and it was something that he would never put over himself again either. That quality, that technique only came with experience, hiding one's true intention in plain sight, and while not very useful in that moment, it was undoubtedly something he was going to incorporate into his training. It may prove useful as he got older, and when, he assumed, got into battles as often as his father did.

Sesshomaru was so caught up in this thoughts, preoccupied with reminiscing the horrors of that night, that he scarcely noticed the servant returning with a fresh brew of tea early in the afternoon. It wasn't until she clumsily clanked the soiled china together, spilling the contents, that he snapped out of his trance and found himself looking at a much younger Inuyoukai.

Now, this was interesting because ever since he could remember, throughout his entire childhood, he had the same demoness fetch him his refreshments while he were in his bedroom. He was sure the old demon was the one who brought him his first serving that morning too.

This one must have been new. She so rudely interrupted this thoughts with her racket, and he almost redirected his angst and displeasure to her, but he held his tongue as he panned up to her face.

Her rather attractive face.

"Excuse my carelessness, young master," the woman apologized with a small bow. He found it intriguing that she did not sound mortified beyond all reason. The last time the help made a mistake, one of his hairdressers, she nearly gave herself a concussion when she slammed her head to the floor, bowing in forgiveness. Even he thought it was a bit much, all he did was lurch as she yanked out a few strands caught in the bind she untied.

There was also the matter of her words and the way she spoke them. Her accent was undeniably Inuyoukai but it sounded _off_.

Then he realized that she must have been from the lower class of their society. Often the cleaners and servers, there were intermediate Inuyoukai who relayed information to them, so there was no reason for anyone of high class to hold a conversation with one.

Until now.

"Who are you?" He asked, watching her with great interest as she cleaned.

The girl congealed where she stood. Slowly, with incredulity, she turned and gawked at the young heir. She took in the crescent moon on his head, wanting to confirm that it was actually the future ruler who wanted to know who she was. The demoness started to feel a little nervous, fearing that she greatly offended him in some way.

"Tome," she finally managed to say.

Sesshomaru snatched his gaze from her shapely waist and quickly looked her in the eye, "Stop what?" he questioned, somewhat alarmed and believing that she caught him admiring her figure.

"What?" Tome said back and looking just as befuddled.

"That's what I said, _stop what?"_

Her eyes fluttered around the room, lasering in on a particularly grandiose vase until she figured out what was going on. "Oh...you misunderstand, my lord, that's my name." *

"Your parents named you ' _stop_?'"

She resumed her task of cleaning up the spill as she spoke, "Yes, it has a funny story behind it." Sesshomaru didn't look exactly amused at the moment, but it was a novel experience, talking to the underclass that is. He just stared at her until she continued on. "I'm from a big family, I've got a lot of older brothers and sisters. My pa didn't want any more after me so that's how I got that name."

He thought it was ridiculous. Personally, he would feel great shame if his parents named him that under similar circumstances, but then again, he wasn't in any position to judge as his family was probably more screwed up than hers.

"As you were," he then dismissed with a wave of his hand, seeming to have lost his interest, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. As he sat there, observing her wiping away the last of the spilled tea, he took a minute to get a good, hard _long_ look at her.

He knew she were older. How old? Again, he wasn't sure, definitely not a youkai teen like himself, maybe she had a good five to six-hundred years on him. In any case, that was a trivial concern in that instance-she was quite beautiful. Then again, in his state most females probably were.

Her hair was pulled back into a neat and flowy ponytail that came to rest on her shoulders, showing off her soft and feminine profile that only complimented her large amber eyes.

And though it was somewhat loose fitting, not even her tasteful kimono could keep her thighs a secret from his libidinous gaze. Every step revealed a hint to what was underneath and he couldn't have cared less that she were no Daiyoukai like himself. Studying her every move, he didn't consider her to be unworthy, beneath him in some way like his mother suggested, he was extremely interested all the same, and frustrated, _so very_ frustrated.

Tome readied a cup to pour him fresh tea, but he didn't give a damn. He leered as she set the cup in front of him, slightly leaning forward, her hair spilling over her shoulder and draping over her slender neck. He groaned inwardly. Her thighs, so close, so goddamn close now, just an arm's reach away, he wanted to touch her, wanted to see what was underneath, and just the thought was enough to arouse him.

 _No relation here_ , he thought through the fog in his mind, _there better not be_. No, he were sure of it, and good thing too because he was feeling a little antsy, his hand twitching, fighting the impulse to reach out and fondle her.

He should have been ashamed for entertaining the thought. After all, it had been discouraged, drilled into his skull from a very young age.

Wishing to consort with her type just proved how repressed he was. The prince seeking out "comfort" from the subordinate help? How pathetic it would be, but, oh, how he just wanted to. He didn't care if she were so called inferior to him, his excitement wasn't any less. And while he were still able to think, he was willing to wager that was just something mommy dearest told him so he would redirect his lust to her, and only her.

Well, if that were the case he'd show her then, the witch.

He'll go even lower than the general's daughter, lower than the mid rank youkai who tailored his fine clothing-he'll try his luck with one of the most lowly ranked Inuyoukai in their society.

He would discover some years later that his nascent fetish for lopsided social standings began at that very moment. It was something he later came to loathe though, specifically when he learned that his father ironed out his kinks with another species, humans, decades after. At the time he feared that he could share a similar fate, similar preferences…

As she poured his tea, Sesshomaru could stand it no longer, he moved on to her. It was as if his hand were not his own, controlled by some unseen force as he smoothly extended it, testing the waters as he dragged his claws up her thigh, repositioning after a few choice squeezes, getting a feel of her soft, taut leg.

Tome, still holding the kettle in her hands, froze and turned to him.

"Young master?" She marveled.

He said nothing as his hand steadily worked its way up, like there was nothing wrong with what he was doing, as if it was supposed to be there in the first place.

Tome had yet to move, she didn't even attempt to step out of reach, and not due to apprehension either, but because this was so curious to her. She should have known that the moment the heir asked her name that something was up. He didn't even look at her as she watched his free hand take her other thigh, encouraging her to turn around and face him.

This was strange. He was the young lord, he shouldn't be wanting for anything, not in this way, especially not with her.

"You flatter me, young master," she calmly said with an air of inquisitiveness, "but shouldn't you be doing this with demonesses around your own age?"

He was thrilled that she hadn't stopped him. "That option is...unavailable to me," he informed hoarsely, vaguely there, far away and while inching his hands to the swell of her ass.

 _What the hell is going on in this house?_ Tome wondered looking down at what was obviously a deprived young inuyoukai with terrible, gnawing needs. "Has _it_ always been...unavailable to you?" She asked thinking he looked desperate, utterly lost in his want.

Still, he explored her body, drawing her a little closer. "Yes."

"So," she started to say glinting at his open door, conspiring "that means you're still a virgin, huh?" Her question pulled him down from the clouds and he stopped. Sesshomaru straightened in his seat, not because he was necessarily ashamed, but because of her infliction. It sounded inviting, seductive, and it forced him to take a deep breath.

He merely nodded at her, his eyes glaucous and wanting her to keep talking. Maybe she would talk her way onto his lap if he could be so lucky.

But Tome only offered him silence as he quickly picked up where he left off. Her body swaying from his groping, a smirk curled her lips as his fondling grew more vigorous, necessitous, the fabric sliding, sifting under his fingers in the thick silence, over his increasingly labored breathing and her own heartbeat.

 _Oh, you poor thing,_ she opined as he started to creep up her back, looking up at her, his eyes pleading.

Now things were getting extremely interesting. Tome supposed she could have told him to stop, perhaps to tell him that this was inappropriate and a blatant abuse of power, but she didn't want to. How often did someone of her breeding get a chance to…

"Young master," she tuned erotically, "are you in need of _comforting_?"

"Badly," he implored and with desire that huskily saturated his breathy words.

"Have you seen a demoness naked before?"

Sesshomaru found himself being quite the poor conversationalist after that question, not like it mattered, he could hardly discern his thoughts over the roar of his blood rushing through his ears, pumping and throbbing elsewhere too. _It_ twitched involuntarily as he sat there, staring heatedly at her and with his mouth slightly ajar.

Tome chuckled softly, she took that as a no. She then set the kettle down, feeling his eyes on her back as she ambled to his door and took a peek outside. Dead. No one around, not so much as a guard. How fortunate for them both.

The moment he heard his door slide to a close, his heart hitched, his pulse thundered in his chest as she sashayed back to him with bedroom eyes.

 _Oh, shit,_ he exclaimed silently, shocked that an expletive was his first thought, _this is something...she's coming...something here...with me...ohshitohshitohshit…_ And so, there it went, out his ears and through the skylight, the last of his intelligible thoughts. He couldn't even string two sentences together as he watched her reach for the obi around her waist, steadily making her way back to where he sat. She stood before him as she undid the sash, letting it fall to the floor as Sesshomaru stared vehemently, barely blinking as his claws eased their way through the chair's cushion.

Removing her kimono, it slid off her shoulders and revealed a thinner one underneath that clung to each swell, dip and curve of her body. It was almost obscene how shapely she was compared to the waif demoness he almost got lucky with. Not to say he didn't like her either, of course, but this, this was a _woman_ who was intended for a demon considerably older than himself. Perhaps one used to the ride and who also had the necessary experience to know what to do once he got _on it_.

His thoughts were…

...not a damn thing. Akin to an analog tv being used today, nothing was there, snowy and staticky on every channel. It was a good thing that the body didn't have to consciously think about breathing, otherwise he would have keeled over, in disbelief of what was unfolding, or rather, undressing in front of him.

Now completely unraveled and free from all clothing, he was mildly surprised to learn that his female counterparts only had markings on their faces and arms, unlike himself who had that in addition to stripes running along his hips and legs. It was likely a matter of sexual dimorphism, male Inuyoukai often had much lengthier hair too. He also noted how busty she was, how her waist pulled in tight, and how her hips fanned outwards before curving back in at the start of her thighs. She had a tasteful white patch of hair just above her mound too, and speaking of which, after his eyes threatened to roll out his head, that was what he was now staring at.

Tome noticed his focus, and to that she lifted and placed a leg on his chair, spreading, pushing her flesh forward and suspending herself directly in front of his face. He suppressed some strange noise as he watched her lips part, subtly exposing her most sensitive and delicate region to him. He fidgeted, squirming in his seat, riding the wave of a white hot heat that rocked throughout his body as his heavy, ragged breath incited the smallest hint of pleasure against her skin.

Having surrendered all of his civility, Sesshomaru was reduced to his instincts. He took in her scent, the distinctive smell of slick arousal, and parted his lips with his tongue. Tome had been looking down at him, reveling in his reaction, and all while still wearing that lusty smirk. Although, she was compelled to quirk a brow when he glanced up at her with the most raunchy and dissolute expression she had ever seen.

"So what are-"

Her words were interrupted when he suddenly reached out and feverishly ran his hands along her soft, supple skin, trailing down to the underside of her taut thighs until stopping at the swell of her backside. Tome then felt the twitch of his pointed tips. They gently dug into her flesh as he inched to the edge of his seat, pulling her even closer, his lips now touching hers, before finally taking her plump and inviting warmth to his mouth. She gasped at his raw audacity, at the sensation of his eager tongue, and though he lacked true skill, he did manage to slide it _just so_ over the right spot-occasionally.

Of course, Tome wasn't surprised, it's not like she expected him to be some amazing lay his first time up at bat, but nonetheless, she found his greediness charming, if not endearing and maddeningly erotic at the same time. Sesshomaru thought so too apparently, even his formal kimono couldn't conceal his excitement. She had decided to let him at it for a while, seeing if he would figure it out, and, for brief period he did.

She moaned softly as he lashed at her clit with just the right speed and pressure, the exact moment his hooded eyes looked up at her provocatively, blazing with fervor. He did, however, get a little overzealous, and Tome flinched, trying to pull herself back when she felt the nick of one his fangs, but he held her steady, not wanting to let go. A few taps on his head did the trick though, and with an agonized groan, he reluctantly broke away from her.

"Your enthusiasm is appreciated," Tome saucily informed as she put her leg down and wiped away the glaze on his mouth, "but your technique leaves much to be desired," she then said playfully and going for his erection. Sesshomaru was too far gone to care about her criticism, it was a matter for another day. "However, I can help you get better at that, _among other things_."

"Let's do the other thing now," he said roughly, hurriedly, not recognizing his own voice.

He sprang out of his seat, abandoning his mokomoko, and grabbed Tome's face, pulling her in, his mouth crashing into hers, his tongue dipping inside as they both fumbled with his own infernal clothing. That stupid obi. Who wrapped it so tightly that it was now impervious to two sets of demon claws? He almost sliced through it before deciding to inelegantly pull it down instead, shrugging out of it and freeing his shoulders as the robe hung off his waist.

As Tome carried on the fight with his clothing, his hands were everywhere, pressed against her back, elbows digging into her sides, palming and tugging her breast, grabbing, spreading her ass, running up her ribs and anywhere in between.

Sesshomaru didn't make the task of removing his clothing easy for her. He took her by the waist, wrapping his hands around her as his thumb claws pricked her abdominal wall. He yanked her body to his, thrusting, repeatedly, forcing her to slam into his hips as their tongues took turns exploring each other's mouths.

"Kami, you're excitable, aren't you?" Tome rasped breaking away for air only to have him promptly bring her back to moan into her mouth. It couldn't be helped, he had nothing else to say, she felt good, _so_ damn good as he writhed his body onto hers.

But then, success. There went his robe, and the under layer too. Her hands found his chest, splaying, smoothing across, up to his shoulders, trailing down his strong arms just before he snatched them away and only to bring her bare chest to his. The heat of her skin made him shudder, he jerked, tapering off into a sway, his entire torso heaving as he panted, as he relished in the feel of her, in the feel of her hands slithering lower, _lower still_ , breaching the band of his remaining garment, until finally, she had his impossibly hard length in her hands.

He broke away from her mouth and hissed through his teeth, looking down at her hand inside his hakama, and then back at her face with inconsolable need. At least now he was standing still, long enough for her to pull that item off too. His footwear went along with it, still caught in the legs, discarded like it were nothing more than a cheap rag.

Tome, being no stranger to dick, worked her skilled hand around his member, impressed with what he had to offer, and applying devilishly sweet pressure as it slipped over his weeping head. It drew out mostly inarticulate mumbling from the young lord, but he did, at least, remembered how to say _yes_ and _please_ as he rocked into her grasp.

"Can we…" Sesshomaru tried to say, but her relentless stroking had snatched those words away too. To that he could only take his bottom lip between his teeth, tilting his head to one side, looking down to watch her work.

"Can we what?" Tome teased, knowing the section in his brain dedicated to speech was out at lunch, "Can we _fuck_ now? Is that what you were going to say?" Her accent made the words sound more vulgar, and he usually would have thought how ill-mannered such a thing would be, but he silently mouthed it back to her all the same. " _Young master_ ," she emphasized, her eyes beckoning, her hand moving faster, constricting tighter as he threw his head back, "was that what you were going to ask? Hm?"

"Yes, yes, exactly that," he stressed urgently, completely and utterly stripped of all his composure.

And then in one fell swoop, he wrapped his arms under her ass and hoisted her up, intending to take her to his bed, but the slick heat of her straddling against his base nearly made him drop her. He caught her, thankfully, though, he did bump her into the table and sent the serving tray as well as the rest of the tea crashing to the floor.

Tome couldn't help but let out a giggle as she hoisted herself up a bit and wrapped her legs around his waist for additional support. He was so discombobulated in his lust that he mentioned something about helping her clean that up later.

Honestly, Sesshomaru felt like he were drugged, his vision hazy, he ached, palpitating with a deep pull between his hips, he hardly remembered lowering her down onto his bed.

And as a firm leg pushed her thighs apart, Tome took a second to soak in the moment. Today started off as any other normal day, and, yeah, she was the new help, but she never imagined that she would be here, in his room and like this. _To go from serving tea to spreading it wide for the heir._.. _wow. What a shift_ , she thought over the feeling of Sesshomaru rubbing his head between her folds. He let out a frustrated growl, he was close, but couldn't quite find the target.

Sesshomaru was struggling for air as he slid his head against her entrance, her wetness coating and his mind buzzing, he found himself more in less in shock that he got to this point in the first place.

Since he was still having some trouble, Tome reached down and guided him to her opening.

"Ah! Oh shit!" She cried out over his throaty groan. He didn't hesitate to enter her, and he wasn't exactly gentle either. Good thing she were ready to receive him, otherwise he would have ripped something ramming into her like that. Tome shot him a disapproving glare, waiting for him to catch it as her body jerked from his thrusting.

"Sorry...sorry...so… _oh_ ," he strained breathlessly, moaning as he felt himself bottom her out. She felt deliriously good, beyond warm, she was searing hot, and she gripped him so tightly he knew there was no way he would be able to keep this up for much longer.

But it wasn't just the feel of her that he had to fight against, it was the visual of her underneath himself too. It didn't matter where he looked, it vowed to bring him closer to his brink. That haughty look in her eyes, her pouty bottom lip as she moaned, the way her breasts bounced with every stroke, how her hips folded over, and how her "other" lips caught and seized, quivering, pulling taut along his dick - he found himself throwing himself into her harder and harder.

The visuals were one thing, but the miry squelch he induced each time he sheathed inside was another evil in itself.

The audio of her sloshing wetness was sure to end him.

He couldn't stop himself, it was mounting, building up, and he felt a familiar pull he only experienced by himself up to that point, but this time it felt much more powerful, its intensity unparalleled.

"Arch your back," Tome demanded, her appetite for more clear in her voice. He required some direction, his rhythm was somewhat off, inconsistent, but he had a lot of raw potential, and sweet Kami he was relentless, plowing into her with such a force, intending to split her right down the middle. If she could just direct him to just the right spot... "You'll go deeper, arch...for the love of god...I swear if you don't-"

Hearing her plea, he slowed down, repositioning his legs for better leverage, and indeed, he did feel himself going deeper. Curious thing too. He could hardly fathom that there was actually elsewhere to go, and he didn't know _where_ he was, or _what_ he was hitting for that matter, but wherever he was at, he was most definitely _there_ , if the look on Tome's face was any proof.

"Harder," he heard her say, begging, and practically liquefying his brain in the process. Sesshomaru gave Tome what she wanted though, he slammed into her, each stroke hit him like an epiphany, elevating the pitch of his voice as he moaned, slurring something she had trouble catching in her ear.

"Fuck!"

She understood that, however.

And she also realized that he was going to finish before she had a chance to. She supposed it were okay, in this case, considering the circumstances, and that he would probably be ready again soon after. But there was the matter of getting this first orgasm out the way…

Well, to that thought, she scooted under him just a bit, throwing off his rhythm, just a tad, as he continued to pummel into her. Then, with every ounce of strength she had, she gave him one long, wicked contraction. She locked her entire lower body, clinching steadfast, threatening to wring him out, and, when he felt that _pull_ , her constricting against himself, he let out a groan from deep within his throat, to which it ended with an array of expletives.

She could feel the warmth of him pouring himself into her, the full weight of his convulsing form as she continued to squeeze him, and his deafening breath, ragged and tattered and roaring in her ear.

He was still clasped inside when he collapsed and half-heartedly rolled off of her, trying to calm his breathing as he came back down from cliff she threw him up.

"Thank you," he said softly, burying his face into her hair.

Tome chuckled. "You're welcome, but unlike you, I didn't finish."

He sat up and gawked at her.

"Want to go again?" She asked with lure.

Sesshomaru looked around, at the disaster that was his room. Clothes were thrown in every which way, there were shards of broken china on the floor, and he was sure his mokomoko was soiled with tea - much like his sheets.

He turned back to her, smirking, "Give me a minute."

 **If you made it this far, thank you for reading! Whew! This chapter was such a challenge to write. Erotica makes me nervous for some reason. Anyway, I pretty much pierced a can of lemon aerosol and said "FIRE IN THE HOLE!"**

 **Sorry if I made anyone think Sesshomaru was going to screw his mother. Yeah, my bad. I just wanted to tell a story. Thanks for hanging in there though!**

 **This chapter was originally titled "Mommy dearest" but after 6k words I decided that Sesshomaru will confront his mother in the next chapter, which will probably be titled that.**

 *** On Tome's name. According to a website I found it on, it's a name that was popular in the Edo era, and yes, it quite literally means "stop" as in, please, no more children.**


	20. Mommy Dearest

**So at this point in the story we are nearing the halfway point, and yes, there's a lot of Sesshomaru and Kagome interaction in this chapter for those who were dying for it.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

The temperature dropped. Sesshomaru could smell the beginnings of a brewing snow storm.

He came to roost on a cloud.

Not just any cloud, but the foundation that bared the weight of the entire structure of Inukimi's mysterious castle. Curious thing it was. Some demons believed that it was the collective youki of dogs who lived there that kept the palace suspended, though, Sesshomaru wasn't entirely sure.

In any case, his landing wasn't the smoothest, he was exhausted.

Half spent and panting shallowly, he pressed the hilt of his blades to his body as he dropped to one knee. His heart hammering within his chest, it pounded with the aftershock of adrenaline that washed over him when he was sure he would fall from the sky. That feeling was most definitely new for him, and, it was something he wished to never have to go through again.

After taking a moment to collect himself, his breath and his nerves, he could see the gates that housed a certain evil behind them.

Sesshomaru stood and proceeded.

Standing guard were two large Inuyoukai who wore shocked faces as he approached closer. He supposed their reaction to his presence was no surprise, after all it had been more than two centuries since he last stood at those very gates.

"Lord Sesshomaru," the pair said in unison, bowing in respect and then hurriedly moving to open the gates. He didn't bother to acknowledge them as he walked through.

The Western lord much preferred the refined practicality of the estate his father left behind for him. He thought his mother's tastes bordered on gaudy as he climbed the stairs, in particular her gold and red overbright throne he could now see at the top-which was currently occupied by her highness.

An open mouthed Inukimi greeted him as he climbed over the last step. Sesshomaru stood before her, saying nothing as the frigid air stirred his hair.

His enlightened glare pierced her very soul.

" _You_ …" Inukimi said first, rising to her feet, awestrickened, "have grown into quite the specimen, my son." His eyes burned even hotter with contempt as she continued to hungrily help herself to his form. It made him sick to his stomach, but he had to be cautious if he didn't want to incite a physical conflict. His own strength surpassed hers these days, though in his state he was somewhat vulnerable.

"Do not admire me, _mother_."

Inukimi blinked and gave him an expression that was nothing short of sass.

"Do get off it," she jested with a sigh, "I have not laid eyes on you in two hundred years and yet you waltz into my palace making demands."

"Silence," he warned, gravely, and while looking down at her with wrath, "You intended to groom me into your mate." Her face quickly transformed, morose, lacking any inkling of remorse as she smirked.

"Clearly, my efforts were for naught," Inukimi lightly scorned, "unfortunately, you inherited your father's sickness, his taste for inferiors," she taunted with a tilt of her delicate head, "if your reputation amongst the servants were any indication. My, my, what a _naughty_ boy you were."

Sesshomaru held his guilty-or rather-his now experienced tongue.

In those days, when he were a teen, he had some close calls in between peeking around corners, shuffling the flavor of the month to his room and anywhere else he could have had privacy, but he didn't know that his mother knew of his escapades. He had bedded nearly every willing demoness in the kitchen alone. And his mother would have been none the wiser if it weren't for two nattering girls recalling the days of their youth within earshot of a guard-who later relayed the gossip to Inukumi. Sesshomaru, however, had been out of the kingdom for several decades by then, so it wasn't he who dealt with the brunt of her ire…

He was sure the kitchen staff had been severely punished.

" _Yes_ … you had quite the harem, didn't you?"

"Indeed. Each one more suitable than you." He said coldly, obviously striking a nerve in his mother's twitching forehead, "Any demoness would have sufficed. You wished for me to pup you."

"Hn...you sound so disgusted. You know such practices aren't rare among the pristine."

"It cannot be helped. You sicken me," he stressed while turning to momentarily glance at a guard who was clearly eavesdropping, then looking back at her with malice, "Now I understand why father was never home. _Hmph_. Why he sought out the _comfort_ of ningen."

A cruel and calculating slight.

If his mother thought otherwise, that Sesshomaru wouldn't have the gall to barb her with his own venom, she had another thing coming. Afterall, along with his coldness, it was merely another trait he got from her.

She scowled.

It finally revealed the anger and bitterness Inukimi had been concealing just beneath the surface for all these years. She had gave off the impression that what his father did with that human princess was no skin off her royal back, but it couldn't have been further from the truth-Sesshomaru knew his mother. He knew that something like that would smolder for all time.

For the first time in his life he felt delighted to have Inuyasha as his half brother, if just to cause his insufferable mother pain.

The queen was regarded as one of the most regal and attractive inuyoukai in their kingdom. Conceit dripped from her youki. But the previous great dog didn't buy what she was selling apparently. Sesshomaru's father likely treated their union as nothing more than a business transaction since it were a forced pairing. He hardly stayed put within his own territory for more than a week or two, always eager to start another conquest. Which probably explained why Inukimi was so adamant to groom the young heir, and why the rejection from both sire and son was so devastating.

"You vicious brat!" She snapped at the smug prince, "The only reason why I still have a shred of respect for you is because _at least_ you didn't associate with human filth! How can you, a great dog, stand there and tell me that you _understand_ your father's degenerate behavior…"

As Inukimi continued to rant on, Sesshomaru's face grew even more snooty as he realized that he still had another dagger to plunge into her frigid heart. He imagined himself flicking the blade in the air, catching and twirling it around in his fingertips before driving it into her chest. If it weren't so unbecoming he would have grinned ear to ear, his fangs out on full display as he threw his head back, cackling.

How the notion amused him. To go from sharing the same hate for humans as his mother to forcing a particularly cute one to be his friend.

"...his taste for bestiality?!" he heard her snarl as he loosely followed her, "And where is your pelt?!" he then registered her asking, knowing that once she got riled up she tended to bounce from subject to subject, "it is most inappropriate for you to go about without it!"

"Hn? Oh, my fur. I left it with a friend," he answered offhandedly, like the action itself wasn't profound. His mother scoffed incredulously.

"Friend? What _friend_? Come now, Sesshomaru, I thought you were above such foolishness, trying to lie to me." His inclining brow sent a tingle of unease up her spine. "We both know you are incapable of befriending anyone."

"Normally," he pointed nonchalantly, "though, I have been working on that. And that does not explain your current expression, or why you cannot detect my alleged lie." She growled as she took a step back from him.

"Did you come here to taunt me?!" She demanded to know.

"This new friend of mine," her son prattled, not ready to change the subject, "she is strange, if not insolent and tactless," he recalled with affectionate irritation, "but she is interesting to this Sesshomaru, exotic one could say."

Inukimi narrowed her fiery eyes at him. "You sound smitten."

"Smitten with a ningen?" He chuckled softly, "Now that would be most unbecoming of me, wouldn't you say so, mother?"

She let out an exasperated gasp as her mouth hung open, to which Sesshomaru began to calmly sift through his hair. He had to distract himself from the elation he felt watching her crawl in her skin.

" _No…_ This has to be some kind of cruel lie. Your pelt...you wouldn't...you detest humans."

He shrugged. "Upon further inspection I find them more tolerable than what I first suspected." _That and an inherited predilection for them,"_ he thought thinking of Shiro.

Inukimi felt and heard something snap in her head. She remembered when his father said something along those lines. It was when it started, when he brushed nearly all of her advances away and started to ignore her, like she disregarded the existence of lower ranking youkai and especially humans. It was long before Inuyasha came along, before Sesshomaru's milk teeth broke through his gums. She knew he were entertaining himself with the many human populations he came across during his quests for power.

And now those same signs were coming to fruition in her son. The horror of it all.

"You are no different from that damnable father of yours!"

"Watch your tongue," he cautioned to her glowering face.

"I will say what I please. This is MY castle," Inukimi retorted, "you are sick, just as he was."

To that he couldn't help but scoff. "You of all demons have no business calling another unwell."

"What...what are you going to do? Follow in his footsteps? Mounting and seeding human girls every few decades? You know the wretches don't live very long."

That sparked some concern. It almost startled him. He sort of _liked_ Kagome, he guessed, so her morality shouldn't have worried him...yet. Frankly, he didn't think that far ahead, didn't have a reason to since his agreement with the girl was only valid until the next new moon.

"Shameful! I knew when you denied me all those years ago...that you were more like your father. What a waste!"

"The fact that you are still distraught over your own _flesh and blood_ refusing to bed you astounds me. It is for that reason, if none other, that you are hereby prohibited from entering the Western Kingdom for any reason."

"You can't-"

"Am I not your new lord, _mother_?"

"Wait, you-"

" **Am I not**?" He thundered, baring his _very_ adult canines at her. They were now on par with his late father's, larger and more robust than hers too. It was also the first time Inukimi heard his voice with that level of bass. It was intimidating looking up at his serious face. He may have wandered around, just like his father, but he was undeniably the rightful heir who took his birthright seriously. That meant that he now ruled over her and her sister kingdom, and she knew it too.

"You are..." he scarcely heard her whisper.

"Then we are done here," he said dismissively and turning around to make his way back down the stairs.

"...but I refuse to-"

Sesshomaru stopped. His back facing her, his sudden halt cut the words from her mouth. _Come on,_ he strained in his head, _just a little…_

He wished he didn't have to, considering his state, but he had no other choice. He had to flare a bit of youki to make his point clear. He figured the matter of coming to grips with accepting that he now surpassed her was a hulking horse-pill to swallow, but that was her new reality to embrace.

He reached deep within himself and coerced out what scant demon energy he had to spare.

Below, at the bottom of the stairs, he could see several guardian youkai bowing, over and over as they lowered their weapons, slowly backing away from the staircase. Then, and in despite his overwhelming need to sit down and rest, he kept his body from wavering as he looked over his shoulder. Purely theatrical, of course.

"It would be unprecedented for a queen to die from the claws of her own son."

And with nothing else to say, he proceeded, ignoring her calls out to him as he went.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **DAY 2**

Sesshomaru was flying on fumes as dawn started to break.

It was a bitterly cold morning as the heavy snow drifted down, obstructing his vision and blurring the world with white below. He didn't appreciate the myriad of feelings he experienced within the last twenty-four hours either. Arousal, confusion, anger, disgust, horror, exhaustion and now cold to top it all off. Really, it was outrageous. Wintry conditions would have had little effect on him if he just had his wonderful and comforting youki inducing pelt.

He shivered as he relied on his nose to guide him to the old one's tree.

He also regretted wasting what precious youki he had left to intimidate his mother. He did, however, take solace in his mother's kingdom only being roughly twelve kilometers away from his border, and with only four left to go he began his descent. He had soared as fast as his body would allow up until that point. The explanation escaped him, but for whatever reason it was easier to fly parallel than to sustain his weight as he wended down.

Sesshomaru declined at an angle and propelled himself forward, tapping into vapors as he systematically free falled. His objective was to conserve enough energy to reel himself in at the last second.

At least that was his intention.

He hurled towards the earth at an eye watering speed. Faster he fell, gaining velocity, falling...falling still-actually careening now-he was unable to slow himself.

" _ **Really?!**_ " Sesshomaru exclaimed just before he crashed, torso first, and whipping up a plume of powder.

Lessons were learned that morning, and needless to say he was sore in more ways than one over it.

He laid there for a moment. Not because he couldn't move, but because he felt stupid while in his state of disbelief. Snow slid down his salty face as he peeled his head _out_ and off the ground, sitting up. Then, as if gripped by self consciousness, he swiftly looked around through his wild and disheveled hair, paranoid, hoping that no soul witnessed what had just happened.

If anyone did, lives would have been lost that morning.

Even by youkai standards the weather was treacherous. He was positive that no one saw his rough landing. Still, and thankfully, he only had to trudge through the shin deep snow for another kilometer, so, he reached up, quickly, overwhelmed by a manic compulsion to straighten and fix his hair.

Although… it was strange that only his right arm obeyed him. The left seemed to have missed the memo. It had a good excuse, seeing that it was completely dislocated, oh, and broken too as it dangled out of the socket.

 _That arm-_ _ **THAT ARM**_ , he iterated wide eyed with offense and while drowning in the irony of it all. The same arm Inuyasha cut off some years ago was now out of commission _again_ , and because of a certain miko, _again._ Vexed, all he could manage to do was stare at it as he waited.

 _What is...this?_

That _what_ was pain. Well, he knew what pain was, obviously. He was just surprised that his body was slow to heal, is all. Actually, it wasn't healing at all.

He yawned wide, finishing it off with an irritated growl as he realized what his body was urging him to do next. It wanted him to sleep. And he was sleepy. So very sleepy as he lost all feeling in his extremities. He couldn't even feel his face, or the trickle of blood that pooled and froze in the corner of his mouth. His body desired to lull him into a week long coma for dire repairs. It was a neat survival trick when peltless, a 'when hurt lie down and rest, stupid' kind of trick.

But that was not an option. It was dawn and he was sure Ishiyaya and Kagome were expecting him back soon, if not by now.

 _Kagome_ , he thought bitterly as he shook snow from his hair and stood. And though he was sure it probably wouldn't have worked, he had to confirm something with himself, if just to get everything out of this adventurous day. He braced himself, preparing to take off.

He was not shocked when he only jumped a few feet in the air and returned back to earth.

Grounded.

There will be no more flying right now, only hoofin'.

And so, with renewed vigor and anger, he marched towards Ishiyaya's tree, flicking his weakly glowing hand as he tried to summon his whip with the same desperation a smoker would have with a dying lighter.

When that also failed, he vowed that when he arrived to his destination he would take his one good arm and wrap it around the girl's neck.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

" _Oh, yes. Once it's cooked, it is even safe for you to eat. Go, help yourself to as much as you like."_ Sesshomaru heard Ishiyaya say as he walked down the stairs.

Stepping into her sitting room, the first thing he saw was the elder sitting in her chair with a potato chip suspended in front of her open mouth. He interrupted her odd snack mid-bite with not just his presence, but his rumpled appearance too.

"Goodness, are you okay?" Ishiyaya asked as Sesshomaru looked around the room.

"The girl… where is the girl?" He answered with a question and a tone that promised physical harm. That was when a clang in the kitchen captured both demon's attention. Sesshomaru went to investigate the source of the noise.

"Uh oh," Ishiyaya muttered as she shifted in her seat, her head following him, "Uh, Kagome?"

 _Wait...is the fur getting...warmer?_ "Y-yeah?" The miko answered through her distracted mind.

"You're in danger, child." Ishiyaya forewarned.

"What?" Kagome lurched with a blink as she sealed off a container of braised pork. Still wrapped in the mokomoko, never wanting to take it off, she took care to not spill anything on it as she stuffed the container in her bag and started for the doorway. That was when she bumped into a weary looking demon. "Oh my god, Sesshomaru!"

"Miko," he growled low, "chant a pray-"

"I'm so sorry!" Kagome blurted out. She dropped her bag when she saw the result of her foolishness in the flesh. "Ishiyaya...she...she told me everything, what this does for you…" she then revealed with remorse as she took it off her shoulders. Sesshomaru had readied harsh words for her, but her large, regretful eyes and somber voice caught him off guard.

He cleared his throat, not expecting her to care or anything.

"Here," Kagome gently said standing on her tiptoes and wrapping it back around his shoulders, "I mean it, I'm so, so sorry. I was just being stupid...petty...ugh, something. I don't need it to sleep with you-" His expression pacified over her choice of words. Kagome paled, aware of the suggestion, "I mean _here_...in the feudal era _with you_. "Of course," she tittered nervously, "not with you."

 _So...she knows how that sounded._ "I accept your apology."

Sesshomaru sighed in relief as the youki from his true form surged throughout his body. His mokomoko warmed him, but so did her sincere sorries, her sweet face too. Honestly, if she talked to him that way more often he would still be compelled to give the girl his pelt if she asked. As bizarre as that was, considering what just occurred.

She didn't need to know that, at least not now.

He watched her flinch over the hollow crunch of his arm snapping back into its socket. And he couldn't blame her, it felt as weird as it sounded.

"Did you fall?" Her small voice asked as she watched him shake out the ends of his hair.

"I did."

"Oh," she murmured as her eyes were drawn to the red around his mouth, "there's blood, you've got a little around...here, let me help," she offered before going through her bag. The only thing she had to use was the wash cloth she used for her face. She moved over to a bucket of drinking water Ishiyaya kept in her kitchen and moistened it, stepping back to Sesshomaru. "It's only a little," her soft voice cooed as she tenderly took the cloth to his jaw and wiped away the blood.

The gesture made him tense up a bit.

"Miko, I can groom myself," though, oddly enough, he didn't want to, this was interesting.

"It's...similar treatment. I did this for Inuyasha after his many battles," she assured him, folding the cloth to the other side and getting the last of dried blood.

"Hn...I do believe it was a certain girl who wanted similar treatment." Kagome pulled the terry cloth away as he glanced down at her. "I requested a similar investment of your _time_ , remember?"

Having focused her sights on the foliage stuck in his hair, gingerly, and while he did the same, she reached up and started to pluck them out. Since he had his ends covered, she removed the leaves that were caught along the side, just above his ears.

"I remember."

"And the hands off agreement, "he smoothly recalled, stopping her picking, "I know I cannot touch you," she _felt_ him say as her cheeks began to blush, "but shouldn't that mean you cannot touch me either?"

It should have, but Kagome didn't consider that. To be fair, she didn't think she would have a reason to do so, or a want for that matter.

"I...well...I don't have claws," she quickly answered, latching onto a lame excuse, "I couldn't hurt you even if I tried so it doesn't matter."

"Some would say that is a double standard," he taunted lightly, "and-mind your own business, old one," Sesshomaru abruptly said to the elder.

Ishiyaya's nosey ear had been snooping in on the two since he stomped into the kitchen, and she was delighted to hear their interaction with one another.

" _I live here, brat. Everything in here is my business_ ," she barked back.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and turned back to Kagome. "Did you get it all?"

She blinked. "Get what?"

"The debris in my hair."

"Oh…" _Duh, stupid,_ "yeah, I got it. You're perfect again." She cringed. _Why do I do this to myself?_

Ishiyaya chortled in the other room. " _Ha, perfect."_

The prince couldn't even tease her in peace, not with Ishiyaya interjecting like she was. He decided that was it. They spent enough time with the elder to last another few hundred years, and it was time to go. By now the storm should have lightened to a flurry, making the conditions for hauling small humans more forgiving.

"Good. Let us go," he instructed and while shooting a glare at one amused and old looking inuyoukai.

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

Feeling like his old self, Sesshomaru carried Kagome on his back as he flew through the air with minimal effort. A light flurry still fell, but that didn't mean the storm was over. The demon knew another round was on the way, and while he didn't intend to make the girl sleep outside-though she kind of deserved to-he had the dilemma of finding shelter for them both to deal with.

Taking her to his castle was out of the question, for now at least. He did just tell Ishiyaya to inform the palace via letter that the queen was banned, and, he couldn't help but smirk as he pictured Jaken's eyes popping out of his head as he read over it. No one knew why she was now barred from his land, frankly it wasn't something he was sure to share with anyone, but he knew his gift of gossip in this dreadful weather would amuse his subjects.

"Oh, I know," Kagome said after a lightbulb turned on over her head, "Kaede, my elder of this time, we could stay with her. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"Please, no more elders, demon or otherwise," he nearly groaned.

"Ah...good point. Well, what do you suggest? I mean it this time, if I sleep outside in this I'll die of exposure for sure."

He pondered over that for a minute. Thinking of the many huts and buildings he had passed over the years. Unfortunately, most were near human settlements, and he knew they wouldn't take kindly to his proximity to their land, miko or not. They'd probably think he were trying to eat her or something too. If not that, most were in such poor condition that it wouldn't have been any better than sleeping outside in the snow.

Then he remembered. There was an abandoned shrine some nine kilometers from where he currently was. Naraku's minions had slaughtered all the occupants of the small village years ago, but he was sure the shrine still stood. It was that well built.

"Hold on tight, I know a place."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"Looks like it's been sealed off with these sutras." Kagome shivered as she poked at a large one on the door. The sutras still held their power, the one she touched sparked in defiance. "Yeah, this place has been blessed by some monk."

"Hmph," Sesshomaru grunted, downplaying their power as he stood next to her, "these are not designed to deal with my kind," he gloated ripping the blessing off the door, unfazed as it sizzled and dissolved in his hand.

"Show off," Kagome grumbled to his smug face as he unceremoniously pushed the door open.

Inside, the shrine was bare. It was a mystery why anyone bothered to seal it up in the first place. It's not like it protected or housed anything, there weren't even any remains left behind. What had been left was a rectangle platform located in the middle the room. It was raised about seven inches from the floor and had a single wall, a pulpit, Kagome guessed.

It was still cold, and of course, with everything damp and frozen outside, there wasn't a way to keep a fire going inside either. Kagome realized that immediately. Regardless, getting out of the freezing, sharp wind was good enough. The snow that blanketed the roof and covered the sides of the building even provided some extra insulation.

Kagome had slept in worse-often nothing at all-when traveling with the hanyou, so she was grateful, thankful that they didn't have to resort to spending the night with Kaede. Her presence would have disrupted any meaningful conversation she wished to have with Sesshomaru, and she really wanted to talk with him while they were alone, before she had to return to her time tomorrow.

She observed him looking around the shrine, silently, curiously eyeing the additional sultras that lined the boarded up windows. They blocked out what precious light the gloomy late morning had, but there were cracks in the walls and the roof. In return some light penetrated through, the fresh snow amplifying what little it gave off.

At least until mid afternoon she'll be able to see...somewhat.

"So," Kagome said rubbing her hands together to warm them, breaking the awkward silence, "what do we do now?"

"We wait out the storm."

"Are we just going to stare at these gloomy walls all day or what?"

"If that is your prerogative," he replied absently, "but if you wish to peruse at your leisure, now would be the time," he then suggested with a subtle glint in his eyes, "night arrives in five hours."

She sighed as he walked towards the door.

"I don't feel like reading. Reading is what started...everything...yesterday…" Her voice melted away when he turned to her.

"Indeed it did," he agreed with an air of soreness and closing the door to the shrine, "and I suppose you wouldn't want me to revisit any unaddressed wrath either?"

"Instead of that, why don't we just...you know, talk?"

Sesshomaru said nothing as he watched Kagome dig through her backpack, pulling out her sleeping bag. She felt his questioning eyes as she unrolled the bag out on the platform.

"What? The floor is cold, at least this will separate my butt from it," she explained while smoothing out the bag next to pulpit.

"Talk about what?" He wondered as she sat and leaned against the wall. When she shrugged, he walked over and sat on the edge of the platform, giving her an ample amount of personal space and his back to stare at.

"I don't know, maybe what happened while you were with your mother? What did she do that so bad that she needed to be banned from your kingdom?"

"Does it matter? Why do you wish to know?"

She huffed, frustrated, "Because I'm trying to get to know you. I saw that look in your eye at Ishiyaya's, you looked so disturbed about something."

"My mother..." For some reason, while he wanted to tell her, he had trouble getting it out. No one knew, and he didn't feel comfortable with sharing what really happened with his mother all those years ago. He believed it was far worse than the girl knowing the true history of his race. The whole topic of Inukimi was unnecessarily arduous. His shoulders heaved as he continued to search for his words.

It shamed him. It didn't matter that inbreeding was common for those of his likeness, there were some things conditioning was no match for-morals. Morals were also influenced by instinct, not just by what one was taught to condone in.

"...she…" he still tried to answer, but Kagome realized that perhaps now was not the time for such a conversation, as it might do more harm than good.

"Don't worry about it," she comforted, "when you are ready, tell me."

Sesshomaru inched around, looking at her, "And if I am never ready?"

Kagome smiled, "Then that's okay too. No pressure," his gaze shifted away from her as she began to go through her bag again, "You know, I have read that royal families aren't as wholesome or nobel as we are led to believe. And often, we as regular people-or demons in your situation, we forget that everyone has issues, problems we struggle with." Sesshomaru was listening very closely. "Life isn't perfect for anyone."

"Perfection is what I was intended to be. It is even in my name." Kagome didn't like the flat dejection in voice. It normally was, but something else was there this time.

"That might be true, but it's just a name. And whoever forced that on you is selfish, unless...you want to be. Do you believe you are perfect, Sesshomaru?"

What a question. Perfection was something most assumed of him right off the bat, so he never-personally-gave it serious thought. Self doubt was taboo for Daiyoukai, and it would be hard for one to wrap their mind around him needing any sort of validation.

"Do you consider me perfect?"

Kagome, holding a tupperware bowl in her hands, opened her mouth to reply but closed it when she truly registered what he asked.

"In some ways," she spoke carefully, "but don't turn this around, I asked you if you believed you were perfect." He looked at her for a good long while until he finally answered.

"No," was all he said.

"Good," Kagome quickly shot back, though his grimace warranted an explanation, "You'll lose yourself trying to go around living up to some idea people have of you. And for what? Just so they can think you're some untouchable robot?"

"Ro-bot?" he repeated, confused.

"Uh...it's, ah, don't worry about it, the meaning isn't important, but what is, is how you feel about yourself, and the life you want to live," she finished peeling the lid off her bowl.

Sesshomaru perked, sniffing in her direction as he observed her collecting a cut of meat in her chopsticks. It certainly wasn't the sweet smelling chicken she had before.

"Kagome," he uttered intentively, foreboding, "are you _aware_ of _what_ you are eating?"

Chewing, she swallowed before speaking, "Yeah, it's pork. Ishiyaya gave it to me."

"Yes, it is _swine_ ," he paraphrased seriously, "but it is also the flesh of a boar demon."

"Oh, I know that."

His face went blank. _Hmm_. He expected her to be horrified, aghast over the fact that she was consuming the flesh of a demon, but she wasn't bothered in the least. In fact, he never seen her look more _unbothered_. Quizzically, he turned until he faced her entirely, intrigued by his brother's bizarre priestess.

"You do not see anything wrong with a _human miko_ eating the flesh of a _youkai_ while in a _holy_ shrine?"

"Well, when you put it that way...yikes. No, but seriously, I ate all kinds of questionable things when I traveled with Inuyasha and my friends, this is nothing." He stared with new found consideration as she took another eager bite, "my motto is, if it looks and tastes good, eat it. Did you want some?"

"No, thank you," the inquisitive demon said to the ningen who continued to tuck into her youkai lunchable, "but you are a very strange human."

Kagome had snorted when she laughed, "Yeah, maybe you're right. This is sort of ridiculous." His quirking brow highlighted the understatement of the year. "I would have taken more, but you looked like you were out for blood back at Ishiyaya's."

Finished with her portion, she fancied something sweet and went to pull out a few pieces of foiled wrapped treats. As she undid the foil, Sesshomaru had recognized what she was now eating.

"Is that choc-ol-ate?" He pronounced awkwardly.

"Mhmm. Oh, that reminds me, what ever happened to those chocolates I gave you some days ago?"

"I ate them," Sesshomaru told her straight faced.

"But I thought you said you didn't like human food?"

"That was an exception. I like sweet flavors."

"That's unexpected," she admitted eating the treat.

"I partake in the occasional honey comb, though between mortal bears and youkai they are hard to come by."

"You're just full of mysteries, aren't you?"

"Miko," he emphasized with a glance, "you have no idea."

"Want one?" Kagome asked taking out another, and, to her shock, for the first time, he accepted her offer with a nod. And just as he extended his arm to take it she quickly snatched hers back. "Here," she said moving her backpack out the way, "come and sit with me on my sleeping bag and we'll share."

"Why?"

"I'm returning the gesture. I don't have a pelt, but the least I can do is offer you a warm and softer place to sit."

Sesshomaru acknowledged and accepted her act of kindness, moving to sit on the material with her. Still, he gave her some space, though all he had to do was scoot a little closer for their shoulders to touch. As Kagome held out the sweet, he took it without hesitation and tore away the wrapper, chewing and dropping it down the hatch just as soon as it hit his tongue.

"Aw, come on. Don't tell me you just pop it in and start crunching," she criticized, handing him another, "these are small and meant to be savored."

"I can handle eating," he dismissed opening the next.

"I know that, but what I mean is...it's so delicious, why eat it so fast? I don't just pop it in and start chewing, I at least suck on it for a while and then swallow-." _What the hell, why did I... what is wrong with my brain...he noticed, I know he...oh god._

Pulling the treat away from his mouth, he cocked his head to one side and flashed her a saucy look-that she didn't catch one might add. She had whipped her head around and preoccupied herself with a zipper the instant she said it.

As a catatonic silence took over the room, Sesshomaru was content to let the moment ride out as long as she was willing to bare it. The demon found amusement in her risque choice of words and the way she grew overwhelmed with unease after she said them. He was also sure, because of her reaction, that she were most likely inexperienced with such things, but not naive enough for the suggestions to fly over her head. And he didn't think it was a matter of solicitation, her coyly dropping hints to...some other activity, but it was something he would remember to taunt her with later.

On the other hand, for a brief moment, he wondered why Inuyasha had yet to take her after all their time spent together.

A matter for another day.

Taking her advice, he merely sat there sucking on the sweet, basking in her dermurity and the embarrassment that ebbed from her in waves.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _Oh, Kami...it's so creepy when he does that,_ Kagome thought to herself as she watched Sesshomaru take great interest in something she couldn't hear or see over the roar of the blizzard outside.

Her awkward moment left back in the morning, it was now night and she could hardly make out much in the dim room save for the outline of Sesshomaru's face and his unnervingly uncanny eye movements. She couldn't help it. As beautiful as his eyes were, in the dark they only reminded her of his inhuman otherness. Any available light reflected back and illuminated them in a way that just made her shudder.

"It is so creepy when you do that." He heard her admit out loud.

"Do what?" He asked, distracted and enthralled with something. When she didn't respond he turned and glanced at her, his pupils adjusting, dilating upon doing so. What was also unsettling was how she couldn't register him actually moving his head to turn, it just sort of snapped, sharply, as it pivoted.

"That," she pointed out, leaning away from him, "and you never blink."

"You are prey," he calmly stated as he fed off her unease, "and aware of your own morality. You consider me predatory, even as I harmlessly look around."

"Yeah, harmless," she disbelieved, yawning, shivering, "what are you doing anyway?"

"There is a demon not too far from here," Kagome stiffened, "Hn...but do not worry, it wouldn't dare approach. Sleep, if you wish to."

Oh, she didn't need him to let her know she would be sleeping safely that night, if it weren't so damn cold she would have drifted off by now. And once again, she found herself in need of a certain youkai's pelt, but she wouldn't ask for it. Not after what happened before. Her jacket would have to be enough, despite it not being suitable for fighting off a single digit chill.

Sesshomaru was sure she could no longer see him, and he took advantage of that. In this variety of darkness, not even his eyes reflected. At times she did try, straining her inferior eyes and not reacting to him staring at her, not breaking away. She didn't move or say anything, and he assumed it was because she didn't want to be a bother, wanting him to think that she fell asleep. Apparently the girl had some pride, some thoughtfulness, and he appreciated those qualities.

Her chattering teeth gave her away though. Having just experienced what it meant to be truly frozen to the bone, he couldn't allow her to suffer all night, but he wouldn't suffer either. It was damn frigid out and he at least needed his mokomoko in contact with his body too.

With a smirk, still sitting next to her on her sleeping bag, he watched her jerk with surprise as his fur soughed and expanded over her. The relief she felt was written all over her face, but so was discomfort and guilt.

"No, Sesshomaru. It's okay, just forget about that promise."

"Your clicking teeth annoys me, so use it and go to sleep."

"Thank you," she murmured sleepily, "sorry for being such a burden."

But try as she might, Kagome just couldn't warm herself enough to stop her shivering. Sesshomaru's half draped fur helped her some, but really beggars couldn't be choosers. Again, she suffered-shivered-in silence as he continued to observe her.

Now, he supposed he could have offered her the entire pelt, ensuring her a toasty night's rest. And he knew that he would be able to withstand the cold, no matter how unpleasant it would have been, a short night wouldn't kill him or anything, but he didn't want to deal with her feeling guilty over it either. At this point she might not even take it.

There was only one other option.

"If you are comfortable with it," his deep voice rumbled over the howling wind outside, "you can lean against me to warm yourself."

The mere notion made her heart beat faster as she lifted her head from her knees to stare into inky blackness, in the direction of his voice.

"Y-you wouldn't mind?"

She heard a phantom scoff, "I would not have offered if I did."

 **Sorry to cut it off there, but I've got a case of writer's block. Okay, well I kind of know where I want this to lead to, but as of right now, it's sort of up in the air. Of course, no lemon between these two since as of right now they've hardly known each other for a week.**

 **But anyways, thank you for reading!**


	21. Boyfriend Number Two

**Music helps me battle writer's block. In particular when I listen to something that matches the theme of what I'm trying to convey. I think I listened to metal when I wrote the battle between Gin and Shiro. So, naturally some suggestive R &B music helped me with this one. LOL **

**It's all Kagome and Sesshomaru btw.**

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

"Um…" Kagome strained at the demon.

He almost smiled.

Sesshomaru had never been more happy to be in the cover of darkness in his life. He took great pleasure in watching her as his suggestion fermented in her head, wrenching her small features this way and that way before it settled into something that resembled apprehension. _Fascinating_. Her eyes trembled as she gently held her bottom lip between her teeth, searching in vain and seemingly wanting so desperately to see him. He was engrossed with how much more animated her face became when separated from her most prominent sense, and even more curious, how she apparently forgot that he didn't share the same inadequacy as her in the dark.

 _Is she afraid?_ He queried in the dense quiet, over her quickening heartbeat and as her mouth cracked open only to exhale. Kagome did _just_ express her dislike for characteristics he couldn't help or control. And that could prove to be a problem, seeing that it wasn't fair. It's not like he could just override thousands of years of selective breeding and instinct for the sake of mortal sensibilities. She would have to get over it and accept him for who and what he was. Because if just scouting out for an unknown demon in the night was enough to spook her... he was confident that he would be in for a long and tortuous path towards befriending her, let alone making her feel comfortable enough to just lean against himself.

But he suspected a good deal of it was his own undoing. After all, he had played upon her fears, more than once. He even tried to kill her four years ago, confirming his hate for her kind. Sure, he was relatively more friendly these days, but he still scared her half to death the first day they had laid eyes on one another in a long time. And then there was the first night she was forced to oblige the arrangement, after his introduction to the English alphabet. Oh, and the first night he demanded her to remain here, with him, and without any camping supplies, and, that little game of 'stalk the human' in the pitch black of Inuyasha's forest, and, of course, that incident at Ishiyaya's, and…

Come to think of it, Sesshomaru realized that he primarily did two things with Kagome-scare and tick her off. Often one followed the other.

Not exactly the best track record so far.

So if he had any self awareness-and he liked to believe that he most certainly did-that was the reason for her anxiety. Especially in the dark, and with a demon who was more haunting-and silent-than other known evils that tended to go bump in the night. Perhaps, he also pondered, that the threat of physical harm was another reason why she still looked to be thinking, possibly debating with whether or not she should take on hypothermia instead of indulging in the life saving warmth of his body.

Case in point, the terms of their peculiar agreement.

While one was recently rendered null and void-since it was frivolous if not outright dangerous-one was still ongoing. Sesshomaru had roused something within Kagome to such an extent that unless she stated otherwise no contact whatsoever would be allowed. Not even the harmless-from what he interpreted-gesture of sharing the heat of his body was readily accepted.

Some variety of disarray was definitely going on in that head of hers. Strange or not, the girl was merely human at the end of the day, so, unless he could convince her otherwise, her threshold for all things creepy would probably always be too shallow for his tastes. Although, the hanyou seemed to have figured it out just fine, or, maybe it was because he were a half demon, less threatening, therefore making him more acceptable in that sense. Kagome had been close to Inuyasha right from the start. That much he did remember, along with his brother's willingness to protect her...

 _Hmm…_

He was beginning to understand why his brother and father went through all the trouble they endured for their humans, and why his father pestered him for years over having something to protect. Though, the dying because of them part was difficult to swallow. In comparison, female inuyoukai weren't exactly helpless creatures, even the meekest among them still had a degree of cunning and youkai strength.

Suddenly, his musings screeched to a violent halt.

He scoffed internally, backtracking. _Their humans, Inuyasha's human,_ he reflected, his mouth contorting as some alien emotion knocked him upside the head. It was a smidgen of jealousy in all its offensive glory. _As if she is still his to claim,_ he then thought scathingly.

Kagome didn't exactly defend their alleged relationship. At least that's what he understood. Her wording had been weird, as per usual, but the inflection was sort of revealing. She had said that Inuyasha was not her 'boyfriend,' a word he now busied himself with, weighing over its meaning, deliberating if the phrase was interchangeable with 'mate.' _Probably not,_ he assumed with an educated guess, _merely a male that is a friend, which he no longer is,_ he then concluded.

And speaking of things that went bump in the night, the green eyed monster was certainly banging around now, its possessive claws rapping and dragging against a door that housed neglected emotions behind it.

Unacceptable.

He swiftly dropped the subject, as if it were Inuyasha's barrier guarded blade, tucking it away for another day and returning to the matter of protecting a girl who, technically, was now _his_ human. Though, Sesshomaru did try to ignore the nagging reality that she was currently a Miko for rent, acquired via a cutthroat lease agreement with the new moon posing as the landlord. Whether or not it would be up for renewal was up in the air.

He nipped those doubts in the bud. There was the issue of security and the desire to mull over it to address.

Now, protection was a perquisite he could provide and provide well, in addition to other perks too, like food-if she ever were low on supplies-and fast travel. He only thought of a few since Kagome looked to be ready to speak again...

No. False alarm.

Sesshomaru ventured back into his head.

He believed he did a fairly decent job standing in for Inuyasha so far. On second thought, more than decent. _I'm far more qualified for the role,_ he thought arrogantly, imagining himself telling her that. And if she disagreed, he knew he could easily justify his claim.

For one, no demon or animal who valued its life had crossed them, which meant the likelihood of harm was reduced to zilch. On the other hand, with his brother, whenever he happened upon his lot, Kagome always appeared to be right in the middle of some ongoing fuckery, often finding herself injured.

Two, flying smoothly through the air was _clearly_ better than the rough bouncing associated with riding on the back of a running hanyou. But he supposed he could trot about with the girl on his back, if she so wished, in despite of him preferring not to. But then again, that meant his claws would have repeat access to her taut thighs…

 _Focus,_ he warned himself.

Three, and this was significant, unlike Inuyasha, he was certain he were the superior conversationalist, possessing a greater deal of intelligence too. He could admit that his listening skills required some rectification, seeing that he had the habit of withdrawing into his mind when knee deep in a conversation, his face unchanged like he were still following closely. Kagome didn't seem too sore over it. Her attempts at getting him to talk had no end.

And four, as far as food went, naturally it would be nothing for him to slay the finest prey items for her benefit. _The_ _finest_. If the animal had so much as a missing patch of fur it would be deemed unworthy for her.

Funny how his willingness to subject himself to the mentioned kind of snuck up on him.

Sesshomaru could argue, with himself, obviously, that she was somewhat undeserving of it too, but then again he could also recall her snarling at Inuyasha. Kagome had a habit of misplacing her civility and hurling the most furious diatribe at his face too. Still, he offered her comfort or assistance in some way. For example, the girl's hands seemed to be broken these days, she didn't even have to carry her own things.

In a way he should have felt slighted, his likeness relative to a pack mule with wings, but honestly, he lost no sleep over it. Something deep within himself, an instinct maybe, had persuaded him to want to _do_ for her, before he realized it were even a want. It was painless, to make her life here with him easier, especially when she looked up at him with her large doe-eyes, enchanting sweetly. He found an odd enjoyment in her unique...brashness, but when she sweet talked him, basking him in her feminine softness, he could be moved to…

Well, he just knew he'd do whatever was required to have her do it again. If it were all by design he couldn't beat himself up over it either, he wasn't the only inuyoukai who was a sucker for pretty human faces.

Regardless, nearly twenty stifling seconds had passed since she last attempted to speak, so he decided to take a whack at reassuring her.

"I won't bite," she heard him taunt over the high pitched shrill of her flat lining pulse. His rich baritone had strangled the remnants of the awkward and pregnant quiet, leaving only additional gravity and a blanched faced Kagome in its wake.

 _Well, I blew it,_ he goddamned to her dazed expression, realizing a declaration of that nature was unlikely to make his odds of comforting her more favorable, _and now she's going to freeze to death. Lovely._

But he was mistaken. His posture improved as she nodded without thinking, half-mindedly forgetting and remembering that, yes, he could see her and probably had been watching her the entire time. Conscious of the fact, she stiffened, her face steeling as she beamed in the direction of his voice, to which Sesshomaru also returned amusedly. So much that a soft snort escaped him.

"Okay, what's so funny?" Kagome _finally_ spoke. His mockery apparently helped her find her voice.

"You are looking at the door. I'm a little more to the right," he informed with a sliver of snark. Feeling silly, she purposely looked elsewhere, unknowingly at a wall, and with her lips pulled tight as she held in a muted chuff. It was sort of funny, and needed. It took the weight out the room, her mounting anxiety, and dragged her back down to earth. "You are shivering," the demon then noted, smoothly reminding her of his bid.

"Um...if you really are okay with it..." Kagome replied timidly, somehow feeling his stare baring down on her more than ever, "but first, could you...up," she cleared her croaking throat, "get up for a second, I want to unzip this thing some more." _That was difficult._

That thing was her sleeping bag. It could also expand into a makeshift blanket when not used in its traditional fashion. Doing so would have made it large enough for them both to sit on, as well as cover the lower half of their bodies.

The aged wood groaned and creaked as he stood and stepped off the platform.

Kagome struggled to not think of her impending predicament as her frozen, nervous fingers located the zipper and tugged. Intrigued, Sesshomaru watched as she pensively manipulated the strange material, doubling its width before she quickly shoved her tense little body underneath. Sitting very still, her ears scoured for his presence in the gloom, hardly blinking with bated breath as she surveyed for a sign of life. Anything would have sufficed in place of the torturous hush. His disembodied voice, the clang of his swords, a gentle rustle of silk- _anything_. And as he continued to give her nothing, she thought about her trip back home for a brief visit tomorrow, seriously considering bringing Buyo's collar back with her, making proper use of the tiny bell attached to it.

And she could only speculate what he did under the cover of darkness. He could have been making faces for all she knew. Her mind roamed, conjuring up all sorts of possibilities. Like maybe he just meditated or something. He couldn't have just stood there staring in the black because it brought him some kind of pleasure.

Unfortunately for her, he did exactly that, but only for a short period this time.

When she heard the subtle slip of his clothing and the planks creaking once more, she recoiled and pressed back further into the wall of the pulpit. Good thing it were there, she had to recite a silent prayer, pleading with the Kamigami that her body wouldn't betray her, that the mayhem thrashing around in her skull would go unheard and not color her face.

Because unlike what Sesshomaru had assumed, the cause of her anxiety wasn't founded on fear. It was based on her ever heightening infatuation and attraction to him. True, she thought he were sort of alarming at times, but she also thought he were hot _because_ of it. The allude of his inhibited wildness, the thrill of his perilous demeanor, his unearthly charisma- _the hair_ , she could go on, all captivated her. And just the thought of touching him, being in contact with his body all night and while close enough to smell his crisp scent…

She started to feel warmer already.

Sitting down in the same spot, and still not in contact with her person, Sesshomaru slid his legs under the sleeping bag, pulling it to his waist-which was as far as it could go for him. It wasn't necessary, but he chalked it up as another gesture and obliged her. For some time she hesitated, her features bordering amid some bizarre combination of determination and unease.

"It's okay, Kagome," she heard him say calmly, free from any innuendo.

 _No it isn't_ , she fretted, but she couldn't delay the inevitable any longer. So, finally having the nerve, she edged to her right, diligently, painstakingly, until her temple nearly speared itself on a pointed tip. "Ow!" she cried out, wincing in pain and yanking her head away, her hand rubbing the smart. "I think I almost impaled myself on your armor."

 _More delays._ "Are you hurt?" He could see that she was fine. No blood, but he still felt like he needed to ask, if only to make her feel better.

"Yeah," she hissed, still massaging the indention on her head, "can you take that off?"

"I can," he said, choosing not to stand this time.

Kagome felt his end of the fur go limp as he rolled the covers off. Next, she heard the clatter of his blades as they were removed from his body and set down, the slick lapse of his obi coming undone, his claws clacking softly against enchanted metal as he untied the red threads that held and anchored his chest armor to the offending shoulder plate. She grew more discomfited the more he unfastened. And having only turned away to fold his sash, he now squinted at her, unable to decipher her current expression.

 _How many… what is he taking off? It sounds a lot more than one piece of armor!_ She had no way of knowing just how intricate his dress actually was, how luxuriant-and annoying-it was to remove.

Kagome flinched and swung her head away when she heard the hefty clunk of his chest mail hitting the floor, concealing her fluster from him. But the youkai wanted to see, that look was new as well. So, he stealthily leaned towards her, curious of her face as he swiftly, overzealously… _regretfully_ yanked the pauldron over his head.

Sesshomaru lurched. A faint strain sizzed through his teeth, prompting Kagome to look at him, perplexed, her brows wrinkled with a question burning on her tongue. In his haste, a section of his hair caught and snagged itself on his armor.

Embarrassing.

"What?" She had asked him.

"It's nothing," he glowered, untangling his tress and all but hurling the violate pauldron across the shrine. But ultimately, he was now free from all things injurious and grew tired of the stress inducing stalling. "When you are ready," he told her crossing his legs, his back to the pulpit.

Once again, a tight limbed Miko shifted to her right, until her weary hand brushed against the out most of his thigh. Surprisingly, Kagome didn't reel, physically at least. An alarm blared between her ears as she scooted until most of her right were pressed adjacent to his.

 _Oh, he's_ _ **so**_ _warm,_ Kagome reveled in the heat that radiated from him. It penetrated her jacket. "This is nice," she murmured as his fur stirred and coiled around them both, just slightly bringing their bodies closer together. "You're a lifesaver," she then complimented, turning to him.

"Mhmm," he mumbled wittingly in her direction, his face closer to hers than ever before.

A thrill shot up her spine, pulling her abdomen tight as it settled in her chest. She knew he were closer, his face to hers. It aroused some involuntary quiver down below. That and the feel of his voice, the vibration of it thrumming low had got her heart throbbing again. He made her feel this way on a few occasions, when the intensity of his likeness was too raw and too near to her, igniting some primal reaction and snatching away all inkling of intelligent thought.

 _Argh, stupid, get a grip. Nothings' even happening,_ the Miko told herself. "Goodnight," her voice quavered as she tore her head away and looked straight ahead.

"Goodnight," he said back, feeling victorious but careful to hide it. How ever she felt about his demonic nature, he was still able to rectify his blunder and convince the girl to settle against him, in despite of her pounding heart.

He felt awfully smug about it too.

But then an absolutely delectable smell snared his attention. All of it.

He breathed quietly, deeply, having noticed it before, and just like back then too, he couldn't readily identify what it was. Clearly, she was still nervous, that much he could smell, but her angst swirled with something else, something quite tantalizing. It was that sweet musk of hers, subtle and light. Delightful. He liked the way it wafted from her and how it tended to linger until she eventually walked off to empty her bladder. It was so very distracting, and, it made him feel excitable each time it was detected. _Wait..._

A premise started to form.

 _If it makes me feel that way...could it mean..._ he wavered as a perverse sentiment developed and while glaring at the girl very seriously… _is she…_ He dared to think it. _Is she… aroused?_

She was.

It was a hunch, but he believed he was right. It couldn't have been a coincidence that some key similarities between her and demoness was pretty darn comparable right now. Flushed cheeks, tittering vitals, a distinctive-albeit milder-aroma, coyness-Sesshomaru had seen that many, many times before. Stimulation. He took a few virgins over the years too. Which reminded him…

Well, some things were certainly starting to make sense to him. It threw him for a loop at first because he weren't familiar with ningen in that way, but now...

He sort of suspected it, just a little, though, he wasn't ready to venture down to that section of his brain when it first beckoned. It was a hell of a rabbit hole, cavernous, a real doozy, but now, the whole thing with his history, his ancestors, her face and body- he was no longer disturbed by the idea of doing something vigorous with her, or desiring to do it in the first place.

He wondered, or fantasized how that would work, fucking Kagome. _I would have to hold back, I'm sure. Not unless my goal was-_ Her sudden jerk startled him and suspended that thought, as if she heard his looming lechery, but he quickly resumed, scoffing, realizing it was just her head bobbing as she drifted off.

… _to pulverise her to death._ That thought was even morbid for him, so he didn't linger on that for too long. Sesshomaru wasn't that kind of demon or lover. Although, if requested, he could be many things. From his experience, female inuyoukai liked it _rough_ , if not possessing an all out need to be utterly ruined.

Moving on, he was curious to know if much were different between demoness and ningen in other ways. Like if they cared for the same touch or if they were different, if their anatomy down south were similar, or if her sensitivity to a firm and relentless tongue were the same, oh, and a big one, what noises he could pull from her.

He had to stop there, feeling _it_ twitch and his building heat threatening to set them both ablaze under the covers. It has already been a severely long time for him and there would be no relief tonight. He sighed watching her head settle against the wall.

While Kagome was now dead to the world, out like a light, he knew even getting a sniff, getting intimate with her in that way would require a special breed of charisma and expertise that he currently didn't have. The matter of sex had always been direct and straight to the point for him. A simple "disrobe woman" sufficed many times. But then again, it didn't leave a lot of room for bonding afterwards, not that he sought that out or anything.

Kagome... she was unique, annoying, but endearing, and he kind of liked her presence and her innocent interrogations, and, for now, that was good enough for him.

It was difficult for him to fathom _it_ happening anyway, spreading her wide, pulling her up to his mouth as she were a meal, or, climbing on top of her for that matter. Hell, Inuyasha had access to her heart and her body for nearly four years and he knew he didn't get too far with her.

 _Why am I thinking of this, of him...with her..._ he asked himself, too weary to cringe, eyes half shut with the lull of sleep, _maybe she does have some prejudice for demons. Befriending our kind is one thing, intimacy is… intimacy...it's another...entirely..._

His conscience told him it was time to shut the hell up and go to sleep now. He had been awake for almost two days, and after the day he had it was welcomed. Kagome, next to and on his body felt so good, soothing, purposeful, like she should have been there all along.

And as the room grew darker for him, his lids drooping even more now, he too began to drift off. His eyes were only closed for a few minutes when the soft nudge of the girl's head sliding down the wall and landing on the small of his arm stirred him. She muttered something mostly incoherent, but he did catch a 'sorry' and another remark about his warmth.

Her natural scent was lovely, so was the blend of floral that saturated her hair. He wanted to bury his nose in it, to sniff obnoxiously, but he would settle for resting his cheek on top of her instead.

Sleep did not hesitate to take him.

Regardless, Kagome was still the safest human in all of Japan on that frigid night.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **DAY 3**

 **NEW YEAR'S EVE**

Kagome could ignore the light of morning and how it filtered a burgundy hue through her closed lids, but she couldn't ignore the sensation of a cool tickle across her face. She swatted and scratched at it, thinking it were just her hair, but when she stuffed her hand back under the warm fur it was back, irritating as ever. She cracked her eyes and saw that it was white and definitely not hers. Trailing down from his temple, the length of Sesshomaru's hair fanned down her face, blurring her vision and yanking her further away from sleep.

She then felt the weight of him on her head and draped over her shoulders, a steady breath rousing her hair from its roots, a silky warmth swimming through her fingers, and her arm heaving gently as it laid across his firm stomach.

The Miko was wide awake now, having realized that she was cuddled up against Sesshomaru, her fingers cradling the small of his waist, and his hand resting awkwardly on his lap when it could have easily been on her hip. Even in his sleep he still tried to respect the no touch agreement. She started to blush, hesitant to move because, Kami, the feel of him against her body felt divine.

She slept suspiciously well last night and now she knew exactly why.

But Kagome had a feeling it may have been her own doing, that she instigated their embrace. She knew how he tended to prop himself against trees, remaining perfectly still as he slept- _when_ he slept, so maybe she did creep closer in the night and encouraged him to wrap his arm around her. It didn't explain why she had to stretch her arm over him, across his abdomen, approaching dangerously close to his…situation.

Perhaps, Sesshomaru did raise a good point. This was clearly a double standard.

 _Whew...time to get up!_ She jittered, tweaking and unraveling her fingers from his clothing and slowly pulling away from him. Sesshomaru must have been exhausted. He didn't wake. Instead he exhaled deeply, his head lurching momentarily from the lost of her, before it found the wall he leaned on. Kagome carefully untangled her body from his, removing her face from his chest, gingerly-and regretfully-tucking her naughty arm back to its rightful side.

Judging from the light in the room, it must have been a bright and clear day outside. The shrine was brighter than ever as the sun's rays seeped in through various cracks.

 _Last night was… interesting_ , she reflected while taking notice of her frozen water bottle on the floor. And since it was daytime she made good use of it and turned to look at Sesshomaru. A groan dragged out in her head. When he slept, the white haired youkai was the epitome of serenity and magnificence. She could only marvel him, flushing, taking her thumb to her mouth, etching the image into her brain. _I hope it never gets warm again._

Having satisfied her need to leer, she stood and stretched and proceeded to pull a travel sized pack of kleenex from her backpack. Nature was calling and the last she answered was yesterday afternoon.

She stepped off the platform and speedwalked to the door, the exact moment when Sesshomaru woke up.

"Where are you going?" A deep and groggy voice questioned. _Ooh._ Kagome would have to appreciate it later, that and his half-closed eyes, because if she didn't get out that door to pee at that very moment it might not be a photo finish.

"Bathroom!" He heard her exclaim as she opened and bolted out the door.

Now it was his turn to stand and stretch.

The first thing he noticed, besides his wrinkled dress, was the scent of her all over his person. Kagome got particularly handsy with him last night. He slept through a good deal of it, since he were dog tired himself, but he did remember when she lifted his arm and snuggled underneath it. It was bold, unexpected, and, when he sleepily asked her what she were doing, she mumbled something about it being okay because Inuyasha let her do it. So, he figured if she wanted similar treatment, damnit, she was going to get it. Although, he didn't anticipate her wrapping her arm around and squeezing his waist so tightly and all night either, or it settling on the peak of his pubic hair for that matter.

That called for some adjustments, and thankfully she didn't embark any lower.

The smirking inuyoukai moved to reequip his armor, intending to relieve himself on a tree when properly suited. He mechanically put on his chest armor, fastening it tight and then pulling the paldron over his head. He hated this part as it was tricky. He normally tied one side of the red binds before he made further adjustments, the obi, naturally was added last.

And as he sifted the sash through his hands, a bolt sparked before his narrowing eyes. Something was close, a youkai, it was moving in fast, and towards Kagome.

He was out the door before the obi even hit the floor.

 **I'm really excited. The writer's block wasn't too bad this time around and finally, FINALLY my next chapter will be the reason why I started to write this story in the first place. This chapter was a bit shorter than what I've been posting recently, and I was going to combine this with the next chapter, but I'm going to have to go over the next chapter as it will be longer than this one for sure. Plus, I need to read and practice how to convey emotions better. I'm not a very emotional person, like at all, and it's difficult for me to write.**

 **Again, thank you for reading.**


	22. Blame It On The Alcohol

**I can't tell you guys how excited I was to use notes I jotted down last year for this chapter. But still, the reason why I wanted to write this story in the first place will have to wait until the next chapter, as it'll give it away. Gah, it's so fun to write when there's little writer's block in sight and you know where you wanna go with the story.**

 **Anyways, hope you guys enjoy!**

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

"Oy! Kagome, I thought I smelled you last night."

Koga slid to a stop behind her, blowing her hair forward and kicking up a cloud of snow no sooner than the instant she pulled up her pants. Having recognized his cocky voice, she whirled around, fastening her jeans and while still holding a soiled kleenex. Of all the times Koga had bumped into her in the Edo era, this might have been the most inopportune one of all.

"Koga-kun," she feigned pleasantly, concealing her horror, "what are you doing out here?"

"Just getting some breakfast. After that kind of storm the stragglers are easy pickings," he said with a tilt of his torso, showing off his tusked prize," but nevermind that, did ya miss me?" He flirted dropping the half frozen boar on the ground. The amorous wolf then moved onto her, pulling and clasping his hands around hers...and the tissue.

Kagome was beyond mortified.

"It's always good to see an old _friend_." She stressed tightly and with a trace of insincerity. She had to gently let him down. The slightest hint of affection would send Koga into an unrequited tizzy, and it was hardly flattering these days, just irritating. One would think Koga should have been bothered by that, feeling dejected due to her phoney warmness, or her dedication to reaffirming their severely platonic relationship, but no, Koga's persistence, even years later, was as fresh as the day they first met.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, my Kagome, and-" _Hold on a minute._ His face steadily loured having noticed something odd, "Hey, what's that weird scent on you?

"Scent?" _Crap,_ Kagome damned his demon nose knowing very well who's scent he was referring to. "I was in the middle of...uh, relieving myself," she diverted and chuckling nervously now that Koga had leaned in for a sniff. He brushed his nose under her chin before taking one last drag on the crown of her head.

The canid looked to be anything but satisfied with her answer.

"Nah, it ain't that. It's…" Koga tore his eyes from her, looking around the forest. "... _dog_. You smell like a dog, but not like the mutt," he then pointed the obvious to her edgy face, "and where is that mutt anyway?" Kagome took in a cornered breath, to which Koga assumed his own conclusion-the wrong one. "You look upset about something. Did that fleabag do something to you? Are you okay?"

She just wanted to drop the tissue.

"Um, can you-"

"Did something happen to dog face? You're usually covered in his disgusting scent, but now you're drenched in one that's just as bad."

That was the line.

"Hey! I like the way he-"

"Oh, Shit!" Koga hissed as he violently yanked Kagome and her words behind him, "Stay back! I'll protect you!"

"Wait-protect me from what?" Kagome asked as she discreetly tossed the kleenex and peeked over his shoulder, "Oh, _shit_ ," she reiterated, miming and affirming Koga's expletive.

To say Sesshomaru was not pleased when he saw a wolf, an eternal enemy, holding Kagome's hands hostage against his chest would have been an understatement. From his perspective, when he witnessed Koga assuming himself upon her, nuzzling, sniffing, getting familiar with her in a way he hadn't yet-well, the inu just saw red. And as the cutaneous ping of his youkai whip materialized from his claws, for a moment, his all consuming need to protect her alarmed him. He had never experienced such an incredibly greedy emotion before.

The possessiveness he felt over the girl threatened to tear a growl from his throat, and, if he couldn't just waltz up to Kagome to have a sniff a wolf damn sure wouldn't either.

The Miko's scent was sharp and tart with worry, but not like the subdued variety that normally ebbed from her when the dread was roused by himself. Kagome wanted absolutely no parts of his vile touch, and that Sesshomaru was keen to lend a claw or two, seeing that he was an excellent peace keeper.

After all, one cannot disturb the peace if they laid _in pieces_ on the ground.

And as he cocked his arm back, his radiant thread on the brink of emergence, he let out a chuff edged with lordly incredulity, his animosity skyrocketing as he watched Koga's arm hold the girl at bay away from him. Its message was clear, contemptible, _challenging_ : The girl is mine.

To that declaration, his brain stopped signaling to the cells responsible for rationality, Koga's only hope at convincing Sesshomaru that this was merely a misunderstanding and not an on sight situation.

A dispatch _on sight_ situation that is.

In response to Sesshomaru's disdain laden scoff, a primeval impulse that had been lying in wait awakened and manifested in the form of a terrible, wretched snarl that rattled through Koga's teeth. It was so vicious that it made Kagome flinch, and, it was at that moment that she realized that this interaction might be more grave than anything she'd seen between him and Inuyasha.

A testament to an ancient strife between dog and wolf.

But it wasn't just the hate Koga had for the lord's kind that fueled his savagery, it was Sesshomaru's sloppy dress too. With his chest mail only partially secured, the pauldron juddering atop his shoulders as he sprinted, his kimono loose around his waist, sans obi, in combination with his scent utterly saturated on Kagome and her nervous behavior, he was positive that this demon had been trying to have his way with her. The wolf knew Kagome was not that kind of girl and that, unfortunately, she was Inuyasha's mate. So, he couldn't just turn a blind eye to this debauchery, in despite of being a married demon, he still had to fight for Kagome's honor.

"Oh-oh! Wait!" Kagome shrieked just as Koga shoved her down in the snow and veered away from the Inuyoukai's whip. It was a valiant effort, sharper and more reactionary than one would think he were capable of, but alas, Sesshomaru's thread was a mere extension of his hand, and he had anticipated any feasible evasion, curving the light at the last second.

He hit his target.

Kagome's eyes were so wide they nearly popped out of her head as she watched Sesshomaru make good on his promise-that he would gut any wolf he happened upon. And even though they weren't in the western lands, at least she didn't think they were, apparently it didn't matter. Where ever the prince roamed was his territory in regards to wolves.

Retracting his luminous cord, the inuyoukai came to an agitated halt, standing several yards in front of his bleeding rival as he observed him shrugging off a superficial wound.

'Tis was but a scratch.

Shame.

And after his brilliant display of accuracy in front of the girl too.

If Koga's sharp and full-fledged demon instincts hadn't instructed him to side step at the last second he would have surely been liberated from his small intestines. Death evaded, Koga didn't feel comfortable with doing battle that close to Kagome, so he turned on his heel and booked, not in retreat, but with the intention to bait Sesshomaru into a foot race.

"Sesshomaru-Koga's my-no!" Kagome yelled, scrambling onto her feet and taking a hold of his fur as he took several preoccupied steps after the wolf. _His eyes...it's something…psychotic._ "He's my friend!" She tried to tell him, pulling on his pelt as if it were a leash and sinking further into the snow as he dragged her along like a lunging Rottweiler. Her frantic words fell upon deaf ears, which was just _so_ unfortunate for Koga. Eventually, to her dismay, and as a cannon ball started to sink to the pit of her stomach, he eagerly gave chase, his mokomoko slipping through her desperate fingers as he tore away from her grasp. "You're not freaking listening-chotto matte!"

Of course he wasn't listening, he could hardly discern the Japanese language as he closed in on Koga, his hand cracking and glowing sickly green. The girl should have known better, trying to discourage him from his Kami given purpose-which was guarding her ningen ass, among other things, but _especially_ from wolves. She started after them, irate and wondering what part of 'friend' he didn't understand.

High stepping, Kagome jogged through the deep snow, her self awareness gradually returning each time her foot sank shin deep until she was hit with an epiphany. She paled as realization careened into her psyche, knocking her anger out the way as it more or less said, _uh, duh,_ before it triggered her into an all out run. Slipping and stumbling, the mortal prize hollered bloody murder as she went, hoping to God that she wouldn't have to witness Koga's demise.

This was the first time Sesshomaru did battle with a wolf but he needed no instruction. Naturally, they weren't found in his region, but here, in the unclaimed far Northeast, they were plentiful, like cockroaches-or so he heard-and was he _ever_ eager to prove a point in front of Kagome. Now nearly an arm's length away from Koga, he was mildly impressed with the youkai's speed, not expecting it to move so quickly and while plowing through the snow at that.

 _Hn?_ Actually, upon further inspection Sesshomaru realized that Koga didn't run _through_ the ice as he did, he literally ran on top of it, skimming the surface and using the wind his legs generated as an aid. Whirlwind excluded, and seeing that they were also too light to break the crust, mortal wolves employed similar tactics when they chased heavy ungulates through deep snow. Koga was using the same strategy on Sesshomaru. And it was sort of… working. Compared to Koga, who couldn't have been more than one hundred and thirty pounds soaking wet, Sesshomaru was probably one hundred and eighty pounds easy when armor free, if not more. * So it didn't matter if he were as swift, if not swifter on solid ground, the wolf was in his element right now.

And while Koga knew of Sesshomaru and the fact that he was the mutt's brother, he didn't know him personally, or much about dog demons in general outside of his skirmishes with Inuyasha and fables. And hence for that reason he was confused when he could no longer hear the inuyoukai's footsteps crunching through the snow behind him.

He glanced over his shoulder.

 _What the-these bastards can fly?!_

His poison claws engaged and on the verge of driving it through the back of the wolf's head, Sesshomaru suddenly felt Koga's demonic energy increase, as if he summoned something. Then, just as a claw melted a single strand of black hair, Koga about faced, still running backwards as an unexpected power crackled and revealed itself in the form of steel tipped claws.

"Goraishi!" He shouted thwarting Sesshomaru's attack, and then cutting tightly to the right, "Ha! Don't look so surprised, dog," he taunted rounding back in the direction of Kagome, "just who the hell do you think I am? 'Thinking that shit'll work on me."

Sesshomaru said nothing as he tore after Koga, quickly catching up and gliding alongside him.

The Prince had to admit, that weapon wasn't something he had foreseen, mainly because it shouldn't have been possible. His father, who fought with many wolves, had told him they were fairly rustic creatures, somewhat quick and powerful, the extinct Daiyoukai even more so. But still, their abilities were rather primitive.

Translation-they beat the brakes off their enemies, punching and kicking them to death.

Which explained why his relative was _unusually_ skilled at hand to hand combat, managing to parry each one of his blows. It seemed that for every ounce of skill Sesshomaru had with a sword, Koga possessed the equivalent with his hands and foots.

Although, if it weren't for Sesshomaru's poorly fastened and meddling armor he would have broke through Koga's countering by now. Frankly, the lord didn't even have to kill him in this way, it was just preferred, more satisfying. Not to mention Kagome was watching this fight in its entirety. At least he assumed she was. He had just noticed that she was screaming about something. He figured it was because of the wolf and the fact that it still breathed.

In any case, as Koga stupidly charged directly towards Sesshomaru, he decided that it was time to put an end to this.

With a mere flick of his wrist, his whip cracked through the wind and found the wolf's neck. And now wrapped around his throat, Sesshomaru reeled, his canine prey in tow as the thread returned to its sender and dropped Koga off in his grasp.

Kagome, about sixty or so yards away now, just caught Sesshomaru taking Koga by his neck and slamming him onto the ground. She was exhausted having been running after them the entire time, but burning legs be damned, time was almost up for her old friend. Koga was growling something terrible as he flailed in the inuyoukai's grasp, struggling for a breath and bucking violently now that Sesshomaru had got on all fours and forced him deeper into the snow.

Kagome found her second wind and started to sprint in full stride.

"LET HIM GO!" She screamed over the disturbing cacophony of choked snarls. Hysterical and mutilated, Kagome had seen a lot of horrors here in the time of demons, but they all paled in comparison to the sound of Koga having his life squeezed out of him.

Sesshomaru, however, was eerily quiet as his oppressive arm trembled and held fast against the wolf's convulsing throes of panic. Koga gasped for air and got nothing as his desperate claws tore through silk and the arm that held him. To that effort Sesshomaru just stared. His expression was chilling, inappropriately passive, as if he were bored looking at his own injury. He then turned to his reddening victim, looking down at him with a sadistic leer as the blue in Koga's eyes started to dull.

Koga wasn't sure what had strangled more air from his lungs, Sesshomaru's constricting hand or the hopelessness he felt seeing him instantly heal while wearing a startling grin. He came to understand that this youkai was not _just_ a full-fledged demon like himself, and why his elders had told him to be cautious of dogs in his youth. Words couldn't express the self loathing he felt over his overconfidence, over assuming that Inuyasha was a good example of their kind. He cursed himself as the embodiment of death pierced him deeper and spilled his life onto the snow.

"Please stop!" Sesshomaru finally heard Kagome wailing at him. His gaze shifted to her and he saw that she was running to him with horror written all over her face. In his stupor he couldn't understand why though. It couldn't have possibly been for him, obviously he was in no danger. He won. Plus, in the time it would take for her to reach him it would already be over. The wolf would already be dead and nothing of value would be lost.

 _...just a little…deeper,_ He darkly mused, exhaling with satisfaction as he felt himself embedding further into flesh.

Koga abandoned his task of slicing through Sesshomaru's arm the instant he felt his trachea on the brink of collapsing. Quaking, shuddering, he arched his back off the ground and focused all his efforts on the hand around his throat. His body twisted and thrashed as he manically tried to pry steel loose, but there was no hope left for him. There would be no escape today, only painful passage into the underworld.

And just before he saw Koga off to Hades, the inu took a moment to relish in the soundtrack of a dying wolf. What was once furious and colorful snarling had transformed into hopeless monotonous creaking...along with a screaming girl.

Kagome's screams.

His leer fell on her.

 _Don't let her see this side of you,_ Sesshomaru suddenly confided to himself. His own suggestion left him stunned and made him hesitant to sever the artery his middle claw grazed against. He then found himself quickly assessing what laid under and around him. Koga frothing red at the mouth, his eyes mostly white having rolled to the back of his head, the bloodied snow that favored a crime scene…

 _This..._ He self reflected looking back at her, still on the cusp of taking a life and dissecting something she had told him a number of times, last night in fact. Then it hit him. Something connected in his brain and made him feel so self conscious that he shook Koga from his claws, allowing him to take a gurgling breath. _...this is creepy._

It wasn't easy, trying to consider the world through human eyes, but he understood the weight of her words more than ever now. What bothered him more than he liked to admit was how she spoke of Inuyasha with a certain fondness, and how not once did she use an adjective like _creepy_ to describe _him_. On the other hand, Inuyasha was just a watered down demon, and as a result he was relatively more tame compared to the real deal. So, Sesshomaru couldn't imagine that he had many pressing youkai urges to control or answer to. But one thing's for sure, visually taking joy in killing another wouldn't help his case. Kagome didn't need to know that, at times, target depending, there was pleasure in killing. And that's not to say that Sesshomaru was some savage beast who killed indiscriminately, far from it actually, but sometimes, like on that morning, conditions were just too indulgent to resist.

"Oh, thank God," Kagome tattered in relief, seeing that he let up on his attack no sooner than when she arrived on the bloody scene. It was a lot to take in, the gore, but Koga was breathing, cursing now too, so she knew that he was going to be fine. Interestingly enough, it was Sesshoumaru who she now worried about. The way he held his body while on his knees was odd, blood stained hand aside-which was currently held stiffly at his hip, he never looked away from her. It was as if he were anticipating her reaction.

And while not one hundred percent sure of her next suspicion, though it did seem feasible judging from the discomfit in his eyes, he appeared to have regretted doing this. At the very least regretted doing it in front of her. Which was endearing-in a twisted sort of way-but moving all the same.

Because it did look pretty bad...

But that wasn't as important at the moment. What did matter was that he stopped. True, he did lay down some serious hurt prior, but he did stop. Whatever state of mind he was in during was behind him now, and like with Inuyasha, she was thankful that she too could reel him back in with just her voice. Although, he was in need of some serious training. No enchanted beads to rely on, it was imperative that he work on responding to his name. Nevertheless, he was still staring at her, looking like the dog who ate the canary, so she figured it was time for some careful words.

"Hey," she said casually, like carnage didn't surround them. Sesshomaru could think of a million things he expected her to say but that offhand greeting wasn't one of them.

"Hey," he blinked stoically at her, his tone deceitfully nonchalant.

"So… " she waned looking him over, "are you _okay_ now?"

" _Is_ _ **he**_ _okay_?!" Koga bitterly scorned in the background. His coughing and wheezing had set a contrary ambience for their breezy conversation, to which they carried on.

"I am," Sesshomaru assured as he stood. It was all he could manage to say, but his inflection hinted at wanting to explain himself. Ignoring Koga's heightening groans of anguish, he felt mentally numb as he studied her face. He was still waiting for it, her pending freakout.

"I'm glad," she said softly, delicately, "but as I tried to tell you earlier, Koga is my friend, he's no-"

" _Ooh, you unimaginable bastard_ ," Koga bellyached to anyone willing to listen. "Say, Kagome, 'think you can throw some of that sympathy down here?"

"-threat...hold on a second," Kagome said shifting her attention to the wolf, "I'm sorry, Koga-kun. How are-"

"He's doing it on purpose!" Koga interjected, practically whining.

Kagome turned to Sesshomaru, confused. "Doing what? He's just standing there."

"My tail… he's been standing on it ever since he got up."

As soon as Koga brought attention to it, Sesshomaru _conveniently_ noticed and stepped off. Kagome couldn't describe the feeling she felt seeing that, seeing him act this way. She tried to pin a disapproving glare on Sesshomaru but his pettiness tweaked her face and nearly revealed the humor she found in it. There was definitely no love lost between the two canines. Not killing Koga was the best she could expect from Sesshomaru.

"My apologies, wolf," Sesshomaru told him and not bothering to mask his amusement either, "for that, and your neck… and your stomach as well."

Apparently, Koga's hardiness had been underestimated. To that sarcastic apology he scrambled onto his feet and glared up at the youkai who towered over him. *

"You're lucky I don't have my pack with me." He gritted through his blood stained teeth.

Kagome winced. Had Koga learned nothing?

"Uh, Koga, I can only save your life so many times," she jittered looking between him and the scowling inuyoukai.

"Have at me, _Koga_ ," Sesshomaru sneered and taunted facetiously, "I've never _eaten_ a wolf before." Had Kagome not known of his dietary preferences already she would have eased away from him-as Koga currently did.

"I think you made your point, Sesshomaru," Kagome chastised...almost playfully. Koga eventually put two and two together and realized that the Miko was an ally to the murderous dog. So all of that defending her honor business had been for naught, the result of a colossal misunderstanding.

And he almost died because of it.

He suddenly found himself upset for another reason, scoffing with disbelief as he watched the two staring at each other.

"You know what," he barked at Kagome, tearing her eyes away from her guard dog, "fuck _that_ ," he fumed pointing at Sesshomaru, "and fuck this," he then flailed at them both. "He almost killed me, threatened to eat me just now too, and you're okay with that?"

"Koga-"

"I only fought him because I thought you were in danger!"

 _On second thought, I should probably kill the wolf,_ Sesshomaru reconsidered during their exchange.

"I'm sorry, Koga, for everything, really, but I was only using the bathroom, and you rushed in just as I was finishing up. Why on earth did you assume I was in any danger and not just... embarrassed?"

"What the hell was I supposed to think, huh, Kagome? You were all nervous, covered in some strange scent, and then along comes _lord silky smooth_ here charging in with that same scent and half dressed! I thought he had tried to...you know."

Koga's stupidity out in the open now, both Sesshomaru and Kagome appeared visually discomposed as they reacted to his assertion in their own way. The demon took to his state of dress, squinting at the wolf and pulling his kimono a little tighter. Whereas Kagome on the other hand instantly turned scarlet and shifted uncomfortably on her feet. It was something Koga found very telling as he side eyed the both of them. If something didn't happen to the half-breed something was sure to if his brother wanted her in that way.

"Whatever." Koga spoke first so they didn't have to. "I'm outta here," he announced turning to leave. But before he took off he stopped and looked at Sesshomaru from over his shoulder. "I'll tell you the same thing I told that smelly cur years ago. If anything happens to Kagome I'll kill you."

And before Sesshomaru could issue a retort Koga was gone.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Later that morning, Sesshomaru came to roost at the base of the enchanted well with Miko in tow. The whole wolf situation was purposely avoided by Kagome and he thought it was odd. But he couldn't get a word in edgewise seeing that the girl kept rambling about this and that. And as she went on about continuing his English lessons when she got back tomorrow morning, he desired to state his peace. He wanted to confirm that her behaviour wasn't a farce, her cleverly going with the flow so she could go home and never return to him.

"...and you'll see that some words don't translate well," she nattered tossing her bag down the portal.

"Miko," he murmured soberly, at last shutting her up, "regarding what just happened-"

"No, I get it," she reassured waving her hands at him, "your xenophobia. It's something that's usually taught...but in your case I know you can't help it."

A breeze howled in Sesshomaru's head as he stared at her vacantly. "My _xeno_ what?"

"Your prejudice for wolves," she enlightened, "anyway, I know it's complicated and not my place to have any real opinion on the matter…"

"How perceptive of you. Although, I did not take you for the type who would hold her tongue." Kagome seemed to be thinking, considering her next words carefully. "Speak freely for I wish to confirm something."

The Miko took a deep breath and sheepishly caught his gaze. She had a feeling that he probably wouldn't be too thrilled to hear her true opinion... "I personally like wolves," he heard her admit. The upended look he gave her confirmed her suspicion. After what she had learned he had hoped that she would partake in his hate for them. After all, two species coming together and sharing the same loathing for an enemy was a beautiful thing, to him at least, but after taking a moment to mull over it he decided that her understanding would suffice.

"That is unfortunate, you having fondness for the _lowly_ likes of them. This Sesshomaru, however, cannot guarantee civility around them." The raw hatred that shaded his voice made Kagome feel uncomfortable, _really uncomfortable_.

"You know what, let's do this," Kagome tittered nervously as she shaped one of her hands like a bowl, "Let's put all the events from today in a box. You trying to kill koga...him thinking you were trying to...uh...um... something inappropriate... _your racism_ …" she motioned stuffing the uncomfortable in the imaginary box and then using her other hand as a makeshift lid, "and we'll just seal it up and toss it away..." her words caught watching the corners of his mouth curl, "...never to be opened again. Sound good?"

She could almost hear the humor in his voice, "That is agreeable. But if I may, there is something I can guarantee, a promise of sorts."

"A promise?" she wondered feeling at ease now that the topic had changed.

"I promise that I will not subject you to that degree of violence again." And he meant it too. Unless it couldn't be avoided, of course.

Kagome smiled at him. "In that case, _I promise_ that I'll be back at the crack of dawn tomorrow." Her words were music to his elfen ears. Now he had no reason to believe that he wouldn't be looking down at her come tomorrow morning. Everything was okay now that what had been disturbing was stashed away in some phantom crypt.

Watching her brush off snow that had collected on the rim of the well, Sesshomaru refused to attend his demon business until she was no longer in his world. What business was that? Not much other than a bath at a certain hot spring. He reeked of wolf. Sadly, he would have to wash most of her scent off as well. But besides bathing, he planned on revisiting the events of the last several days with her. Last night especially.

Kagome sat facing the depth of the portal. She almost jumped in but hesitated. There was one other thing she wanted to say to him.

"By the way, thank you for not killing Koga." He almost rolled his eyes at her. "And thank you for protecting me. Inuyasha also did that for me, especially when Koga was around. He can get a little touchy feely."

"So this _friend_ of yours has a habit of showering you with unwanted affection?"

"Unfortunately," she confirmed dryly looking over her shoulder.

"Hmph. I have reason to believe that I assisted him in breaking that habit."

"Yeah," she laughed warmly, "that's for sure. " She continued to smile at him as a comfortable silence fell over them. _This is… whatever this is, it's nice, weird but still nice._ "Well, let me get going," she then said turning back to the well, "Hope you have a happy new year!"

And away she went.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Kagome never put much thought into it. How both the past and present shared the same weather conditions. But then again, she was a time traveling Miko so it was easier to not put too much thought into it.

A blizzard was one of the few things that could successfully slow down the hustle and bustle of modern Japan. As the city's snow removal municipalities worked overtime to clear the urban streets, elsewhere resources and equipment were limited. She knew this because her mother left a voicemail, and when Kagome called her back she told her something along those lines. Before the storm hit yesterday, her mother, brother and grandpa went to visit a sick cousin who actually did live in the boonies, and, as a result they were snowed in, the family Prius proven useless on rural snow covered roads. Her mom wasn't sure when they would be back, but she told her that it would take at least a few days for the plow trucks to make it up the mountain.

Her cousin in stable condition and her family safe, Kagome had told her mom to stay warm before she excitedly ended the call and contacted Yuka.

" _Heeeey, Kagome. I was hoping you'd be back for tonight. So… how's Inuyasha's brother?"_ Yuka asked pryingly. When Kagome didn't answer her call a few days ago she knew exactly where she was. Sort of.

"Oh, believe me, I'll get into him later, but I just found out that it'll just be us girls tonight."

" _Wait, what?"_

"Besides us, Yuka, no one else, not even my grandpa will be home for our little get together tonight."

" _Holy crap,"_ Yuka said animatedly, " _hold on, let me see if I can add Eri and Ayumi to this call..."_

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Back in the past, and after a long soak in a hot spring, Sesshomaru found himself restless waiting for Kagome to return. He felt strange walking through Inuyasha's forest, not caring for the silence he once relished in. Even if the Miko had been there and not talking he still would have found conciliation in that, her breathing, or, her just being near, either would have sufficed and was preferred to being left to his devices while presently Mikoless. Because one way or another, eventually, the girl would find a subject to babble on about, and, consequently, it probably would have led to her uttering something he didn't understand, which was okay, because again, she would be speaking words. _Words would be nice, lovely even, like her voice_ , he discoursed sighing softly.

As dusk approached, Sesshomaru prematurely waited at the enchanted well. He considered his reason for doing so silly, but Kagome's aroma had been washed away during his bath and he found himself in need of it. Already he grew accustomed to it. Getting a whiff of her trace scent wasn't as ideal as having it saturated on his person, but he would settle for wallowing amongst her essence near the portal.

Sitting on the lip of the well, he decided on conniving to pass the time, mainly thinking of what additional methods he could use to return her smell to his body. What was another fourteen hours to a celestial anyway? _An eternity,_ he groused dramatically. Funny how his many days on earth thus far tended to blend into one another. Maybe that was why the new year was nothing special to him in despite Kagome wishing him to have a happy one. He was sure to see many more anyway, so why would it have mattered if they were joyous? On the other claw, humans were lucky to make it to fifty in those harsh and troubled times, not with all the famine, war and whatever else tormenting their lives going on. He figured bringing in and celebrating the new year was far better suited for ningen anyway. It was another precious year for them and just another monotonous year alive for youkai.

The concept of time frequently slipped his mind. Well, at least it used to. Now Kagome and her girlish idiosyncrasies bogarted most of his thoughts, and he had never paid more attention to the moon cycle in his life. He knew there was a word for it, the emotion he felt. It was most definitely sexual desire mixed in with something else, but had the demon bothered to give the many demonesses he had bedded more than just his lust and indifference he would have known the word that escaped him was infatuation.

Sesshomaru put a pin in that thought, he'd have to return to it later.

In the meantime, thanks to Kagome, he was sure to have another boring new year, and boring would have been adequate before her, seeing that it was a familiar state for him, but currently boring just wouldn't do, not from this point on.

Thoroughly uninterested with the paradigm and construct of time, Sesshomaru opted to imagine what she looked like when free from all clothing. He painted some interesting pictures in his head, for a long while, until the sound of approaching horses and talking ningen broke his concentration. They were a small lot, only five strong and with each hauling some variety of game. No doubt taking advantage of the conditions to pick off the weak.

Sesshomaru had no business with the humans and they had none with him, so he didn't acknowledge them as most hurriedly trotted by and towards the nearby village.

All but one that is.

"I thought I sensed the presence of a strong demon nearby," Kaede said to him. Sesshomaru didn't reply, he only looked at her with disinterest. "Ah, now here is a familiar sight," the old Miko continued on, her tone riling the slightest twinge of his attention now, "Ye looks exactly like his half-brother."

"Do not compare me to the likes of that half-breed," Sesshomaru warned, though his words were harsher than his tone, which was something the woman found interesting, telling even.

Kaede didn't require the nitty gritty of a situation to assume an accurate conclusion, not at her age. She found secret comedy in what she was witnessing, knowing that Kagome's naivety was partly to blame. The girl was straight up oblivious at times, unaware of her own blaring siren song that not one but both brothers had heard and came to court. How else could one explain their willingness to wait around the well like lost puppies? But that wasn't the best part. She was willing to wager that Inuyasha was none the wiser of his brother's interest in his Miko, and, that it would definitely be an interaction one should watch from a distance come the day. _It seems that when the dog's away a bigger dog is sure to come and play,_ she bantered to herself, _for now I shall keep this gossip to oneself._

"Steady, great demon, I mean ye no offense. I merely implied that you appear no different from Inuyasha when he too waits by this magical well."

"Is there a point you're trying to get to?" Sesshomaru asked somewhat irritatedly, but mostly he was lost in the irony of it all. He desired to speak to a certain younger Miko, not this one.

"Aye. Say, demon," she started with her lips pulled tight, "ye, wouldn't happen to be waiting for Kagome, would ye?"

"So what if I am?"

Kaede's knowing chuckle rubbed him the wrong way. "I suppose I should tell ye, though I am certain ye will soon discover this for himself. You see, Kagome isn't what ye would call the most reliable these days. Even your brother would agree with my observation."

"What are you saying, old priestess?" Sesshomaru seemed ruffled by her statement, suddenly wishing she hadn't started off towards her village whilst shaking her head.

"Do not be surprised if ye discovers contradictions in her words and actions." Kaede forewarned going about her arthritic way.

"Contradictions?" he repeated, weighing over her premonition. But ultimately, he had no reference for what she spoke of and quickly resumed his fantasies, now only having thirteen more hours to go.

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

 **NEW YEAR'S EVE**

 **11:00 P.M.**

For more than a decade, Kagome and her three closest friends have made a tradition out of spending New Year's eve at her house. Sometimes they brought in the new year out in town, and sometimes they just stayed in at Kagome's place. This year was special. For the first time, ever, they would be able to drink freely in the comfort of Kagome's adult free home. That's not to say that they were strangers to alcohol, far from it, it's just that normally they were forced to sneak a spirit or two in Kagome's bedroom or in secret on the back porch. And even then they had to be mindful of how much they consumed, lest Mrs. Higurashi catch them partaking in underaged drinking.

But none of that mattered now. The only thing that did matter was what Eri had said the instant Kagome slid her door open to welcome in her girlfriends.

"TONIGHT, WE ARE GETTING _FUUUCKED_ UP!" Eri yelled brandishing two huge bottles of shochu.

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

 **NEW YEAR'S DAY**

 **2:30 A.M.**

Sesshomaru, still guarding the enchanted well, was in the middle of busying himself with the ends of his hair. Occasionally, he came across the odd tangle, to which he ridded himself of with his claws. It was all he could do to bare the last several hours. He had reached the limits of his wandering mind around midnight, but what had enthralled him before being reduced to grooming was the matter of setting up choice circumstances that would encourage Kagome to sleep against his body again. Perhaps, encourage would be putting it lightly, innocently. Really, he conspired to set up ideal conditions, making it so that Kagome would have no other option but to sleep with him lest she freeze to death.

The weather was proving to be quite the ally for his endeavor. As long as the lands were gripped by the frigid temperature and covered in ice, he believed that he could get away with returning to that same shrine, recreating the scenario that occurred the night before. Delighted with his master plan, he allowed himself to bask in the confirmation of his own genius as he moved to another section of his hair.

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

 **NEW YEAR'S DAY**

 **2:30 A.M.**

"Well, I wasn't going to bring up penises," Eri slurred, hushing her equally shit faced friends, "but since y'all brought it up, we might as well talk about penises."

"Hold...hold on, we weren't even talking about dicks," Yuka retorted flaring up a round of cackling, "we were talking about...um... _damn_ ," she tried to recall snapping her fingers, "we were talkin'-"

"Boyfriends," Kagome assisted, giggling and before she took another shot to the head.

"What's the difference?" Eri chimed in, "they have them."

"I..I think…personally… that we…" Ayumi interjected utterly sozzled, "...I think, yes, they have dicks and...and-no wait, stop it guys, why are y'all-what's so funny? She blathered through their horselaughing.

"Today, Ayumi," Yuka told her and wanting her to get it out already.

"Let's talk about dicks," she said almost perfectly.

"Oh, hell, you guys," Kagome quipped as their eyes fell on her.

"You can go first," Eri grinned at her widening eyes, "so uh, what's Inuyasha's _situation_ down south?"

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

 **NEW YEAR'S DAY**

 **5:47 A.M.**

It wasn't expected of Ayumi, the meekest of Kagome's group, but she drank more than any of them. Presently, she was passed out under the coffee table in the living room, but before that she somehow managed to burn water after being struck by the liquor munchies. When the fire alarm resounded and scared nearly everyone half to death, they all staggered into the kitchen only to find Ayumi on the floor, shirtless, and eating the uncooked noodles out of the packet. Apparently, she grew tired of boiling the water and just dumped the seasoning pack into the bag and had at it.

To that hilarious scene, they collectively decided that everyone had enough and it was time to sleep off the rest of their stupor.

Kagome, drunk and exhausted, couldn't believe what time it was when she glanced at her phone. She didn't intend to say up that late or to get that drunk, but when in Rome... Still, she knew that she was going to be beyond weary tomorrow, possibly hungover, and in front of Sesshomaru too, but who doesn't have a little drink on new year's eve?

Regardless, and as Eri and Yuka settled onto her couch, she curled up next to Ayumi and decided to rest her eyes for a minute. Just a little power nap, nothing too deep or considerable. She had to be dressed and out the door in another half hour...

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

 **NEW YEAR'S DAY**

 **3:38 P.M.**

When Kagome sleepily glanced at her phone she popped off the floor like a spring. Snoozing, her friends were in the same spot as they were hours before, still resting off the liquor. The state of her home was nothing short of a hot mess. Cups here and there, food wrappers thrown about, a questionable stain on the floor, and, to top it all off, Ayumi was still in her bra and jeans.

Not long after Kagome woke up, one by one her friends came back from the dead, just as hungover as she was and in awe at the chaos they created. But seeing that they were good friends, they helped her clean up the mess before they hugged each other and went about their groggy business. Eri even gifted the Miko the leftover liquor, a half bottle of something akin to vodka that put them all on their asses. Kagome merely stuffed the bottle under her bed and went to shower and pack her things.

This time she packed enough for a four day visit, five days at most. By the time her preparations were complete it was already twenty past five.

Dusk.

Her head pounding, she took a long drink from a bottle of water before she turned to leave for the shrine. She had hoped that Sesshomaru wouldn't be too sore over her being severely late. _Nah, he won't be too upset over it. I'll tell him things just got a little wild. No biggie,_ she convinced herself sliding the shrine's door shut and walking down the stairs.

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

On the other side, Kagome was surprised to discover a particularly discontented looking Sesshomaru staring down at her. It was amazing how emotive his eyes were when the rest of his face remained unmoved. She was no stranger to his glowering but she hadn't expected to be welcomed back in such a contemptible way.

And while Sesshomaru's voice was steady and clear, it hinted at an impending confrontation.

"Tell me something, Miko," he stated cynically staring into her fatigued eyes, "how did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Conceal your lying from me? You promised this Sesshomaru that you would be back by dawn, and, as one can see the sun is currently setting."

 **Sesshomaru's dialogue gave me hell this chapter. In the anime no syllable is wasted and he can move an entire plot with just a sentence or a grunt. In a way, if this makes sense, he's easy and difficult to write for at the same time.**

 *** The interesting thing about Koga (and Inuyasha) is that they're not as big as I thought they were. I suppose I should have known as much considering how many times demons have called Inuyasha "little man" or how many times Inuyasha has called Koga a scrawny wolf. But after some research, and really, I'm not sure how accurate this is, but anyway, after some research I discovered that Koga is apparently 5'9ish in height and 130ish lbs. Inuyasha isn't much taller or heavier. And speaking of height and weight, Sesshomaru's recorded height and weight are all over the place. Some say he's 5'10 while other sources says he's 6'0 and anything in between and up. Personally, I imagine him as a towering demon who cleans his plate like the good boy he is, so he's definitely over 6'1 and fairly hefty in my mind. Plus, I like the idea of most people having to cock their heads up to talk to him.**

 **And as for Kagome, well, for anyone who has said that she seems like a bitch in this, unfeeling, inconsiderate and what have you-great. That's what I was going for, and now she's getting ready to get told about herself by someone who does nothing other than call it like it is...when he can be assed to talk. So now, in my universe at least, we know what's eating Sesshomaru. The angle I went with him was, well, dudes who have mommy issues tend to be uncaring and have a general distrust of women...so yeah, something along those lines. And soon we'll see what's eating Kagome, or if Sesshomaru eats her, whichever.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	23. Barking Mad

**Sesshomaru snatches Kagome's wig in this chapter so it's somewhat crackish LOL.**

 **As mentioned, this chapter leads into why I wanted to write this story in the first place. Also, this chapter isn't as long as the previous 4 or 5. My apologies. I recently mustered up the courage to write other fics. I believe in the span of two months I added over 40k words to this one and that burned me out of this plot for a little while.**

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

As a murder of crows cawed in the distance, Sesshomaru stood tall and betrayed, staring down at the hollow-eyed girl with indignation. Clearly, vows were cheap to ningen, but to youkai one's word was bond. No matter how small, there was honor in a solemn promise.

What bothered him more than anything was how she had looked him _dead_ in the eye and swore she'd return at dawn. He detected her lying before, hers was an acrid pheromone, but how on earth did she manage to deceive him?

If Kagome only knew of the _brouhaha_ that currently knocked around in Sesshomaru's mind she'd fix her blasé expression. There was one other female who had successfully took him to the cleaners, and that was his queen mother. Only she - the witch - and apparently this miko had the cunning to pull the wool over his eyes.

Kagome _really_ didn't want to find herself listed under the same category as his mother.

Rubbing her pounding head, and not at all in the mood for this impending cross-interrogation, Kagome sat down on the lip of the well and sighed, her breath visible in the frigid air. "Okay, first of all I didn't lie." Sesshomaru's scoff narrowed her gaze. "And secondly, I got caught up in something...with my friends."

Discreetly, Sesshomaru sniffed at the air and snarred an intriguing scent. "Caught up with what?" The demon then asked distractedly.

 _Dicks and such…_ "Oh...you know…" Kagome started to say just as Sesshomaru moved onto her. To her ironic horror and to his utter disregard, his crotch was now suspended directly in front of her face, ghosting her lips with silk. " _Um_ …" She moused. Suddenly, she found it difficult to breathe, and she didn't know where to rest her peepers as her heart proceeded to wedge itself into her throat. Her eyes nearly fluttered out of her head before she finally got the nerve to pan up his towering form.

Forgoing finesse, Sesshomaru leaned over the blushing girl, shrouding her in a veil of silver as he helped himself to one deep, obnoxious sniff. He identified the trace of three other girls, one of which had a scent stronger than the others, as if she were in contact with Kagome for an extended period of time. Unbeknownst to him, it was Ayumi who he inhaled, the one who Kagome had laid plastered next to on the floor for the better half of her shit-faced day. She had also bathed, but she still reeked of something quite potent.

"You smell like a distillery." He dryly reported with a finalizing exhale through his nostrils, rousing her hair but not her sizzling thoughts.

Stargazing, her eyes slid past his brooding gold and settled in the middle of his forehead, just about dangling off the curve of his crescent moon. _His crotch...my face._ "Yes." She whispered from another realm, clearly woolgathering.

"Hmph." Sesshomaru grunted as he put some distance between their bodies, only to then give her a sidelong glance. As Kagome brought a hand to her chest, the youkai determined that she hadn't lied to him. But it was obvious that she had consumed something stiff, if her pale and drawn complexion was any indication. Which begged the question, "Is it customary for you to sleep with women whenever you are drunk about the world?" Came the demon's sharp inquiry.

The cawing ceased.

Gaping, Kagome wrenched her head sideways. "And just what the heck is that supposed to mean?! What kind of girl do you take me for?"

His presumptuous, if not inappropriate question staggered Kagome. She just stared at the stoic demon, hoping that he was merely joking, but when a single brow rose in wait she knew that he had been painfully serious when he told her, _'I do not kid.'_

Sesshomaru willed himself to not look away from the incredulous, fiery expression that she now held. "That is what this one is trying to find out." He composedly imparted to her, watching her breast rise and fall in deep, angry breaths.

"Find out _what_?" Kagome demanded to know.

So casual was his reply. "You have slept with a woman."

"Yeah, okay _and?_ What you think happened didn't." _Ugh, my head is killing me, s_ he winced thereafter.

Thrown off balance, Sesshomaru made a face at her. "And just _what_ am I thinking, girl?"

Death would have been easier for Kagome to answer to. Just the thought of him assuming that she had _slept_ with one of her friends made her want to jump out of her skin. Fidgeting, she said, "You're trying to insinuate that I…" _Oh God "_...that I had _sex_ with one of my girlfriends."

Sesshomaru stiffened. His eyes glazed over as his mouth shut with an audible snap. He had definitely missed something there and was at a lost as to where _that_ came from. And seeing that she mentioned it, he figured it sanctioned further questioning, and that maybe he pressured the declaration out of her. Sesshomaru ran his tongue along the back of his teeth and smoothly cleared his throat. "Kagome-"

Her groan cut him off. "Don't," she said holding up her hand, firm but pleading.

Sesshomaru never knew it was possible for one's entire body to cringe. He gave her a skeptical look as he continued to sweep over her wincing figure. "Did you-"

"No! _"_ She screamed. It almost made him flinch. _Oh, God just kill me now and lay me down by the river._

Despite his blank expression, he believed her. Though, it still was a stimulating thought for him, a thought the miko didn't allow him to dwell on.

"And what's with the third-degree here?"

"Third-degree?" He echoed, not familiar with the adjective and still _distracted._

"Questions, Sesshomaru," Kagome huffed, "and what is your problem now? I'm sure you figured out that I didn't lie, and you know that I was late because I had a drink with my friends." The girl's tone was quite nasty, and unpleasant enough to reel him back in.

"You look harassed. You also had more than _a_ drink." He countered callously, ever so slightly ticking her off further. "And my problem - I am having some difficulty assessing your character, and admittedly, that raises some concern for this one." Inept as he was regarding friendships and the like, even Sesshomaru knew an apology was warranted, seeing that she disregarded her promise to get drunk _and_ kept him waiting. It wasn't too long ago that he told her about herself, that she had the tendency to behave and speak in a most uncloth manner. He suspected that a reminder may be on the horizon.

Why she insisted on employing vinegar instead of honey was a mystery to him, and judging by the look on her face it was evident that Kagome was gearing to take the _bitch_ route.

" _My character?_ " Kagome accentuated, slowly rising onto her boots, approaching. "You've got some nerve," she then seethed, stamping through the snow, her face marred by vicious offense. The girl stood before him and sent up a scathing glare at the cool demon. "You forget yourself, Sesshomaru."

"Oh?" Was all he said when he really wanted to let out a sigh. This whole ordeal was proving to be incredibly frustrating for him. If she just had said sorry he knew by now they would be halfway to that freezing shrine again. There she would eventually rest her shivering form next to his, and he would make sure he stayed awake throughout the night, incase her hands decided to wander to regions unexplored for quite some time. This ongoing confrontation was only getting _in the way_.

"Don't stand there and act like you're so innocent, all high and mighty. 'Talkin about judging my character as if you have room to talk."

He frowned at her. "What do you mean? I waited all night for you."

"I never asked you to wait here all night. Even Inuyasha would have found something better to do with his time." Sesshomaru's frown deepened. "Oh, and you know exactly what I mean.. _.Lord Sesshomaru_. Or have you forgotten? Because I sure haven't. For years you were nothing more than a shady character."

"Mind what you say, girl, lest you regret it." He rumbled low.

Kagome scoffed in his tightening face. "Regret it, huh? Or what? What?" She egged, jabbing him in the chest with an angry finger. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. You're standing there like you weren't - like you're not all about - like you haven't said things like, oh 'I'll kill you, cut you, slice and maim you, hey, meet my poison claws…'" She rambled on, poking him between each word, rousing growls with her every prick. "'...gut you, destroy you, lay waste to - I'll kill you, I'll kill everyone and your pets too, in the name of the _West - I'll kill you._ Because I'm a great _dooog._ ' _"_ Sesshomaru was so pissed he could hardly breathe. He may have said some of those things but he wouldn't bother with anyone's pets. "Oh, but nooo, _my character_ needs assessing." She finished her rapid fire assault with a sarcastic dip of her head.

Having ranted all that she needed, Kagome turned to walk away, wanting to see if she had anything for her splitting headache in her bag. She took no more than two steps when, suddenly, something knocked her upside the head. When she whirled around she saw Sesshomaru returning the offending limb back to his side.

The sore inuyoukai had considered what he did before he had done it. Though, purely reactionary, his arm immediately rose the second Kagome turned away from him. And with a mere flick of his wrist he had backhanded her with the same discipline - sans force - that he would have bestowed upon Jaken after he voiced his unwanted stupidity.

After all, enough was enough.

Pawing the smart, Kagome whisked around so fast that her brain sloshed in her skull. Sesshomaru's rebuke only exemplified her fissuring migraine. "Did...you hit me?"

"Who else but this Sesshomaru?" He soundly returned.

"You jerk! Why?! You can't hit a girl." She snapped back, like she hadn't lit into him first. "And what about the agreement?"

"Your sex is irrelevant. But seeing that you _so rudely_ reminded this one of his station," he referred to her using his formal title quite bitterly, "I elected to reprimand you for your foolishness." Kagome's eyes darkened. "And you hit me first." He later added.

"You-"

"Silence!" He barked.

"No!" She defied. "You can't-"

"Shut up!" The force of his roar sent her back on her ass, rendering her hysterically quiet on the ice. With that, Kagome thought to consider that in the land of demons there might not have been equal rights, but there certainly were equal left hooks if a woman didn't mind her extremities.

He turned away, for a moment, batting down his temper, and when the demon faced her again he spoke evenly. Even so, beneath the surface wrath lurked. "You will not lay a finger on my person again, do you understand?"

Kagome frantically nodded having seen a glimpse of his hardware.

"And I will speak freely without any interruption, is that also understood?"

She nodded again, not bothering to pick herself or her jaw off the snow. The dog thought it was a fitting position for her. So long as she didn't speak he wouldn't be tempted to reach down and _politely_ snake his fingers around her neck, at least until she stopped talking again.

But just in case, he kept her pinned with his glare. "You are not only a hypocrite but disrespectful and inconsiderate. How can this one have faith in you teaching the proper etiquette of maintaining friendships when you are such a poor one?" When Kagome took a breath he heard her impending rebuttal and shot her a sharp snarl. Obedient silence. "I understand the appeal…" He drifted surveying her body."...why your detestable behavior is tolerated - you are easy on one's eyes, but my patience is wearing dangerously thin with you, girl."

The human perked. Sesshomaru slipped it in between his novel-esque manner of speaking, but she caught it. At least she thought she did.

Kagome raised her hand.

"And I - what?" He acknowledged flatly, sighing.

"Um...can I-"

The dog bit back a growl. "No you may not. I am not finished." Dead air hung between them just as Sesshomaru realized what he had admitted to her. A simple slip of his demon tongue during the height of his aggravation and he winded up telling her that he thought of her as attractive. He could see her need for a confirmation burning in her eyes, her desire to get a word in edgewise. To Kagome he looked uncomfortable, and what could only be read as a nervous tick, she followed his hand until it rested on the hilt of Bakusaiga. That was new. As was the reflective alarm in his eyes, which had begun to gleam as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Sesshomaru would choose to deflect. In want of pushing his discomfit away and because he still wanted to knife her with his words.

"I told you that I waited for your return. You failed to notice that you missed your cue to make amends with this Sesshomaru. You have said plenty - most of which was saturated with venom." He tore away from her softening gaze. He will not fall prey to her girlish charms. Not yet. "You have issued no apology." With this, it was Kagome's turn to frown. "And you said to me, that my brother would busy himself with something productive awaiting your passage into this time…" His nerves under his command, he turned back to her. "Funny. So strong was his desire to _busy_ himself that he went about his exploit with the knowledge that you would return in a days time."

"He gathered the other ningen, the monk and the slayer and set out without you. This one finds that interesting, don't you? He has stood by this well many times in wait, but a day proved too insufferable and your lot embarked without you." His tone was cruel, intended to cut, as was his sneer. It was effective. No longer did Kagome wear a nasty expression. As she came to understand what Sesshomaru had just said fret ruined her face. "They have abandoned you."

 _They have abandoned you._

Sesshomaru's remark unsettled Kagome as it echoed in her mind.

"Do you know why you were left behind, miko?" She didn't bother to respond, his infliction voiced that he would in her place. "If one were to hazard a guess it is because you are a contemptible girl, if not all but rotten. And perhaps...no longer worth the trouble." The last was said as he broke away from her trembling stare to look west.

A cold sober trickle ran down her spine, and she was on her feet. "What are you saying? I'm…" She shut her eyes and exhaled. The feeling that pulled tight in her chest was dread. Some of it was for her small pack of friends, but most was for the silent, indifferent demon in front of her. He was right, regrettably so. "I'm sorry." She quietly told him.

"Yes," he said slowly, cynically, "you are _sorry_."

"Sesshomaru...hey, wait where are you going?" Kagome asked as she watched him strode away.

"West."

"Wait for me." The girl called out as she reached for her backpack.

He stopped. "Stay." He calmly commanded from over his shoulder.

And what a cold shoulder it was.

 _Stay? As in here? But I don't want…_ "Why? I thought…" Her heart pounded when he continued on. "I thought I was supposed to stay here - with you until- the moon, hey, Sesshomaru! What about the agreement?"

"I have no want for it." Is what he said, but _I don't want you_ is what she interpreted it as. She just stood there, numb, feeling every bit like an idiot, but also conflicted. Originally, she didn't desire to be there with him, but now she was crestfallen that he called off...what was it? Her hostage situation? The friendship? Odd, her dynamic with this demon. She couldn't recall such heated exchanges with any of her friends, minor tiffs at worse, but what just transpired had a taste she sampled before...

In any case, whatever it was, there _he_ went, through the glade they promenaded across a number of times, without her.

"But I said I was sorry."

He heard her, but still he ambled, feeling quite satisfied with himself, almost smirking. Of course he didn't wish for her to stay behind. His intent had been to rile up some self reflective emotions in her, oh and naturally, to put a smidgen of fear into her too. Respect mostly. For one reason or another, regardless of specie, Sesshomaru noticed long ago that when females get a little too high handed for their own good they have a nasty habit of talking out the sides of their mouths, to males in particular. That needed correcting.

He walked at a moderate pace, not wanting to disappear from her eyeline too quickly. It was dark out and he wanted his performance to sink in while she could still see. Although, moments before, his ire was very real, as was his overwhelming instinct to swat her like the insolent pup she portrayed. Everything thereafter was the genius of his cunning.

"Sorry…" Kagome said once more, barely above a whisper, and if not for his demon ears it would have been lost to the wind.

 _Good girl. Follow me._ A rare smile fanned across Sesshomaru's lips while he listened to her crunching footfalls. He knew she'd defy him and tag along no matter his orders.

But his grin soon melted away, for while the girl moved she was not after him.

Peering into the depth of the well, Kagome gave Sesshomaru one last glance and quietly said, "Guess this is... _goodbye._ "

His plan backfired. She was leaving _, not following_. Her farewell tied up the rear, clinching the end. Which end the demon did not know. There was no telling when she'd return, if she decided to anyway. With what he imparted her with Kagome might stay in her own time for good.

Kagome climbed over the lip and dangled her legs into the portal's mouth.

Sesshomaru dispatched, bringing forth his demonic speed and accelerating so quickly the world seemed to linger in the moment, just as Kagome did as she jumped. In half a breath he was two paces near, a millisecond after a lock of raven curled over the edge.

He went in after her, dragging one clawed hand down the wall to slow his descent, and seizing the girl by her coat with the other just as her feet made contact with the bottom - at least they should have. There was no thudded fall, no wall at which his talon had scored. There was nothing other than a kind of nebulous light, richly blue and not of his perceived reality.

And pain.

A searing pain that vowed to split what had no business separating as he fell, still holding onto the girl and falling with her - falling beyond what he thought was possible.

 **Finally! We are here, or should I say they are there. Hope this isn't too anticlimactic. Really, Sesshomaru being thrown into Kagome's time has been done many times, but what I like about those fics is that each one is different in their own way. And the lemon I have in store for these two… you'll see. Still a little ways off, but soon. Can't believe it took a year to get to this point! And thanks for reading!**


	24. Rest Your Bones With Me

**I wrote this chapter while listening to Maroon 5's entire discography. (Songs About Jane and the Hands All Over album will always be my jam). Anywho, needless to say it completely upended what I had originally wrote for the first scene. LOL. Something, something Adam Levine's sweltery crooning…**

" **Harder to Breathe, Tangled, Shiver, Misery, Stutter and Don't Know Nothing" inspired this chapter in particular.**

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

They arrived with a clattering thud.

" _Ohh_ ," Kagome groaned long and low, " _my head_."

Sesshomaru, chivalrous as ever, cushioned their fall with his dependable back. There he laid, spread eagle on the dirt at the bottom of the well, burdened by the weight of another. Upon crashing, Kagome's face had bounced hard off his breastplate, tamming her gong and pushing the air out of her lungs. An inch higher and she would have impaled herself on a boney spike. The knock quashed her headache though, so, no pain-killers were needed, just more pain to check what had already hurt.

Slumped over on all fours and sizzing in and out through her teeth, Kagome fixed her forehead onto the trembling ground as her hips rocked with their own volition.

Curious thing, that jerking, the panting too.

Drifting about in lala-land, Kagome was enchanted by twinkling stars before her eyes, so, it wasn't until she shrugged off her mental lag that it dawned on her that the ground shouldn't have been hitching and gasping for air.

She sat up onto her hands, squinted down and instantly congealed.

"Sess- _soh?!_ " Kagome yelped, her exclaim cleaved out her throat just as another robust heave momentarily unseated her from a lap she wasn't sure she were old enough to ride yet. In some such way she ended up on top of Sesshomaru with a leg for either side of his well-bred groin. She wanted to say something, but his deep, drawn-out groan was the epitome of _strain,_ and subsequently itshort circuited nearly all of her senses.

Spread wide across his firm lap, she couldn't catch a full breath; each attempt cut from her lungs by unrelenting demon vigor. Her brain hiccuped, registering all with a delay save for her _awakening_. Electricity discharged, igniting neutrons which in turn triggered dopamine receptors to fire on all cylinders. What was received in real time was the surge of her blood roaring through her ears, the rattling clamor of his weaponry juddering against the ground, the monumental impactof his hips pistoning between her thighs, and a raw, carnal tightening that only aggravated an _unfilled ache_ she harbored for years.

 _Oh my_ _ **fucking**_ _God._

She needed off that bucking stallion, but a primal want took her elbows down to his chest, drew her knees together, arched her back and kept her straddled. She didn't understand how or why it felt like he were stimulating everything all at once. It was impossible for her to think over the force of Sesshomaru knocking hard at both entrances, ringing her little bell and leaving her to answer to a pre-orgasmic flutter.

It was so sinfully delicious it could be none other than a dream. What else but the fantasy of a girl seeking water not on her level?

 _That…_ _ **this**_ _can't be happening._

Kagome refused to believe that Inuyasha's brother was giving her _the business_ at the bottom of the Bone-eater's well.

She glanced up.

Ceiling.

She glanced down through a black, swaying current.

Sesshomaru.

Her heart set itself on fire.

Silver fanned out behind Sesshomaru's lolling head; spilled all over the ground as if it were poured. He was underneath beating up against her ass with shut eyes and parted lips, dragging in serrated gasps that caught in his throat. Seeing and hearing this, her pulse rioted. Kagome bit down on her lip and all but melted as a new kind of spasm coiled tight in her womb. Never had she seen him so undone, so wantonly taken in that he failed to assume command over his _very_ fine features.

And since his was a fine mount that made her _clench_ and _hold_ , desperately, she reached out for a rein that would help her endure, for if those shakes went on she was sure to fall off. And Kagome didn't want that. She desired to remain seated right _there_. So, in kind two small hands slid up either side his waist, seeking in tandem, grabbing, taking a hold of - _ugh._ Her mouth went dry. She felt muscle working under his silk, the startling flex of steel overlaid with too much goddamn clothing.

Shuddering for a myriad of reasons, Kagome took possession of his sash and held it tight between her fingers, knowing full well if not for the barriers made of silk and denim he'd fuck her well-nigh to delirium. Perhaps, she just barely thought, he would be merciful, warming her up for the intrusion, as he did now, but even so she would still be in trouble.

Riding out the ache of her sensory overload, his effort pervaded through her frame, tenderizing her mound and carrying a vacillating ripple from under her thighs to the swell of her ass and back again. It was at that point that Kagome decided that she didn't care what happened thereafter. She held on and surrendered wholly to him. Sesshomaru could have her however he wanted and she'd take it in earnest.

Behind her his legs dragged along the ground until bent at the knee. Her leverage lost, abruptly, she lurched forward, breast to chest, her face jouncing mere inches from his. She hadn't noticed it before, but he still groaned low in his throat, in between sharp breaths that gusted hot and moist over her lips.

" _Oh_ …" She breathed, savoring the taste he left in her mouth. It incited a tumble of uninhibited quivers deep inside. Granting all of this, Kagome struggled to organize her thoughts, but she did manage to reconsider something - that she just _might_ be old enough for this ride.

Kagome stifled a moan when his thrusts seemed to yield in favor of oversexed grinding. His back left the ground, hiking her rear up as he writhed hard and deep into what yearned. There he kept her, suspended, meeting her mid-stroke and bringing with him lascivious friction that wedged the seat of her panties slick between her slit. She let him have at it, resting one side of her face on his chest, and squirming with each titillating pass of his groin. His hands, which until now were at his sides, reached up and seized her shoulders. And now under his full control, she let go of his obi and dropped her arms onto the floor. Later she would ask him where he got the gall to do this, but not now, words weren't possible, only mumbling that tapered into moaning when his lap, all but still off the ground, pressed the near full weight of her into his rocking arch. The experience was indescribable, half-dangling off his sturdy form like a rag doll. She never felt so pliable - never let anyone render her this subservient in such a way for that matter either - but she was powerless and at his demonic mercy just the same.

And how she loved every second of it. That and Sesshomaru's unmitigated nerve; his lack of want or need for any validation too. Although... presently, just how much she liked it escaped her, considering her distracting predicament. Too nascent was what budded within anyway, but it was there, trying to make itself known. Maybe, after her mind recovered and cleared, and _if_ by chance the prince imparted more details about himself to her, youkai and ningen just might come to learn that they complimented each other's most rawest desires...

For that to happen, first, Kagome needed to fix her attitude, and maybe learn how to shut the hell up sometimes too-

-but not right now. She couldn't shut up.

Sesshomaru tensed and held her at the ready, then, firmly, he delved into swollen, voracious flesh. Kagome gasped. Fidgeting and groaning unintelligible words of encouragement, she met his prod with a needful crowd of her own and squeezed her thighs tighter around him. He quaked and gave her an involuntary jerk, and then milled her into a sopping mess. She fell apart. Her heartbeat hitched a fit as pressure mounted and pooled full and heavy in her bladder.

"Oh God, please...stay - _oh._ " Another swift and unexpected thrust. " _... there_." Kagome begged helplessly, pushing down against him.

He was going to make her come, pathetically so too.

Sesshomaru hadn't even _touched_ her, but there she was, teetering on the edge from what was essentially dry humping and crying without shame. Her morals seemed to have petered out with most of her rationality. Moreover, a miko begging for a demon's gentle sin was nothing short of sacrilegious, nevermind the fact that she did so from the depths of her family's shrine.

Scandalous.

Alternatively, while Kagome was on the brink of getting off, Sesshomaru had been trying to get her off _of himself_ for the last harrowing minute.

Siblings, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru have a similar flavor - their youki. For that reason and none other was why the elder brother had been permitted to lapse through with Kagome. However, when the portal detected the despotic aura of a Daiyoukai and not the essence of a relatively less threatening hanyou, it lit into the thoroughbred with a searing, proverbial _hell no,_ smiting him with what powered the well.

Reiki.*

As it still did now in fact.

And before Kagome knew which way was up, the convulsing inuyoukai gave her one final hitch and heaved her off. Now she laid on the ground, upended on her back, and denied a climax that was, regrettably, one earth shattering misunderstanding.

Confused and anguished over her sudden upheaval and ruined orgasm, Kagome flipped over and saw Sesshomaru fighting to get on his feet. When he managed he stood on watery legs for no more than a second and leapt.

"What are you - Oh!"

He missed the rim and crashed back down on his back, knocking the wind out of himself.

"What's wrong?!" Kagome shrieked, thinking Sesshomaru had lost his freaking mind. Her reply was a tattered gasp that sounded pained. Then, with every ounce of his absolute all, he gave it another go and jumped. That time sharp points embedded into the lip. He struggled. His boots shinned along the wall as he frantically fought for traction. Claws tore at and into the aged timber, sending splinters flying every which way and showering Kagome with them at the bottom.

Ultimately, Sesshomaru hooked a leg over the edge and successfully pulled himself over, leaving his pelt behind and landing on the shrine's floor with an audible thud. Kagome winced.

A moment ticked; several thereafter. From parts unknown, far way, outside a siren wailed in the distance, a reminder of the present-day, the only discernible noise aside from Kagome's pounding heart.

Silence firmly settled around them.

"Sesshomaru?"

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

Kagome called out to him.

"Sesshomaru, please." She pined urgently, shaking him vigorously. His name left her lips again, warped and colored with worry just as her hand slid down his limp arm.

Folded over on his side, the demon hadn't moved since he staggered off the ledge and onto the floor.

Dropping onto her knees, Kagome pushed dead weight on its back; his right arm flopped heavily onto the ground as his head inclined, exposing his pale throat. He didn't budge. With that she just stared at his unconscious state, slipping further into distress.

"Hey," She said disquietingly, unsteady, "Get-"

Silk balled into her fist.

Panic careened into her chest as her heart plummeted to the bottom of her belly. _Wait._ She tore her hands away, not wanting to feel his stock-still body as it made her sick with dread. Wide-eyed, she fell back onto her haunches and bored into an hauntingly impassive silver silhouette.

Kagome saw no rise and fall of his chest.

"You better be breathing!" She threatened his lifeless body. Up on her knees again, an anxious hand advanced and grazed an ice-coldcheek. She recoiled as if she were burned.

Kagome started to hyperventilate.

"Why are you so cold?!" She screamed with an angry, accusing hurt. "You're not allowed to be - y-you're not supposed to be…" She faltered brokenly, waiting, hoping he'd roll out of his coma to growl at her for smarting off in his face again.

Nothing.

Not so much as a twitch, and definitely no growls.

"...so cold." Suddenly, her voice regained its strength, and she snatched him off the ground - just a fraction - by his collar and yelled, "You're not even supposed to be _here_!" She huffed hot against his face, stirring his fringe. "So don't you go freakin' dying on me or so help me I'll...I'll -" She gave him a shake, then another for good measure, to which his jaw slacked, giving her a glimpse of his fangs as his head lolled around.

She drew him in closer.

"You better start breathing and _breathing_ _quick_ or I'll put some goddamn air in your lungs myself!" She irrationally exploded in his face. Immediately, Kagome regretted her outburst and gently set him back down. She took a deep breath, biting back her disordered nerves.

She leaned forward and hovered her ear over his mouth.

"Oh, thank Kami."

A faint inhale followed by an even fainter exhale.

She was relieved but still his breaths were too shallow, his temperature too low. He might not be dead but he could be well on his way if she didn't do something.

Now on her feet, Kagome paced around the shrine, smacking her forehead, willing solutions to come forth. Her fraught gaze slid over his comatose form, the shoji door - back at the demon.

Something was missing.

 _The pelt._

All at once she remembered what Ishiyaya had said about it. Without it Sesshomaru is forced to tap into the youki he carries within his body, and if seriously hurt it'll take a lot longer for him to heal.

Presently, he didn't have that kind of time. He'd freeze to death before any recovery.

Kagome scanned the lot of the shrine before she peered into the shredded portal. There it was at the bottom in a state of uselessness. Without thinking she tossed a leg over, and just before she jumped she stopped herself.

"No stupid." The hasty girl scolded herself. She just might go back in time if she leapt from that height. So, she scrambled over to the rope ladder and climbed down to retrieve it.

It was lukewarm. Somewhat disheartening seeing that it was normally a lot warmer when he were near it, but still promising nonetheless.

Pulling herself up and over, Kagome wasted no time making a b-line for him. She lifted his head and adorned his neck with his essence, and, no later than she did Sesshomaru drew in a deep, climacteric gasp, and, finally, _finally,_ there was visual evidence of his breathing. The miko relinquished a sigh of her own, not realizing hers was dependant on his.

 _Oh thank you, thank you, thank you - yes keep sucking in air, take all you need, you're doing great you beautiful - good dog. You're such a good-_

Kagome reached out to adjust his mokomoko, wanting to wrap him tighter. She straightened stiff when she touched it.

It thrummed.

Just as it did on the first frigid night when he gave it to her.

 *** As per chapter one, the well emitted faint traces of nagging reiki.**

 **I really wanted this to be longer but argh, Sesshomaru's dialogue is so goddamn aggravating. I'm trying to update this story each week again so the next installment won't be very long off. It's mostly half-written, just have to clean it up.**

 **Anyways, again, thanks for reading!**


	25. On Your Knees

**Alright, so editing this chapter really,** _ **really**_ **kicked my butt. So I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Oh, and if any were confused by the previous chapter, my bad. Basically, Sesshomaru was having a fit because (read below) and Kagome (read below).**

 **Let's see what happens...**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Kagome was not okay.

 _Do I even want him to wake up?! Ugh,_ she grimaced holding her face.

 _Kami... I don't even - of course! Of course I want him to wake up. It's just that -_

Mortified, Kagome peeked through her fingers. Stretched out next to her, Sesshomaru slept _hard_ , all cosy-like under her sleeping bag; his mouth slightly parted as he snored softly.

That degree of comfort called for strenuous maneuvering. Just rolling his heavy carcass on top of the sleeping bag tweaked a muscle in her lower back. What's more, dismantling his shoulder armor took ten frustrating minutes. Unfastening the tenacious red threads struck her as impossible until she resorted to pulling the knots loose with her teeth. A little unorthodox, but necessary. She couldn't imagine him getting a restful night's sleep otherwise.

That was hours ago.

She picked up her phone, her thumb print immediately unlocking the screen.

1:23 A.M.

Sesshomaru had been out for five hours.

The girl sighed, her breath showing as a plume of steam.

She hadn't checked in a while, so she reached under and touched his hand. His chill was long gone. He was warm. _So warm,_ and his heat beckoned, tempting her to lay down and curl next to him -

 _You'd better not!_ Her spirit scolded, wagging a stern finger before her eyes. _Don't touch him!_

She snatched her hand away. _You're right,_ she agreed with herself.

 _Haven't you touched him enough? Your crotch was all over his -_

 _Yes, okay, I know!_

Shivering under Sota's old Pikachu comforter, Kagome hugged her knees to her chest.

 _What the hell am I going to say to him when he gets up? Oh, hey, Sesshomaru...I thought that we - I thought that you...I mean, I had assumed - did I ever assume..._

She groaned and hung her head low, wracked by unremitting embarrassment, guilt, and, in spite of her shame, arousal. The last of which lingered. Stubbornly so. Her feelings blended into one skittering thrill of frission and made what she felt difficult to distinguish. And almost cynically, if not inappropriately, Kagome understood how some people got off on such feelings.

Shame and humiliation. Excitement and fear.

Not her, though. The fear she felt was for her life, nothing more, and the former only made her brain itch.

She stole another glance.

 _You were being purified and I was on top of you thinking that you -_

" _Oh God_." Kagome warbled, covering her mouth. She shut her eyes and swallowed around the lump in her throat. Her stomach flipped wildly as anxiety crawled deep inside and settled, making itself at home.

 _I'm the one who needs to be purified. I'm going to hell._

Her hands slid to her scalp and into her hair.

 _Straight to hell in gasoline panties,_ she lamented, opening her eyes. _And you're going to send me there._

"Oh... I think I'm going to be sick," Kagome whined out loud, wincing and pulling at her roots as she tousled her hair into utter disarray.

 _Even_ _ **if**_ _he were doing what I thought he was, why did I just_ _ **go**_ _with it? 'Oh, you're trying to have a go? Pfft. I'm okay with that. This is fiiiine. You go ahead and take what you need, demon.'_

 _...take what you need._

 _Ugh._ To that Kagome _transcended_ blushing. Beet red, she could cook a full course meal on her forehead.

 _Am I really that...horn-_

"Uh-uh," she grunted suddenly, cutting in on her own musings, "nope."

She chose to think of another pressing matter - Sesshomaru's presence in her time for instance. More importantly, _how_ he were able to travel through and _why_ he leapt in after her. There was no misunderstanding. He specifically told her to "stay" and that he had "no want" for their relationship.

Kagome squirmed recalling what cut to the bone.

" _I have no want for it."_

" _Contemptible and rotten."_

" _Not worth the trouble."_

 _He's so damn slick._ She thought bitterly. _Insulting me with pretty words._

But soon came self reflection so strong it unwrinkled her nose.

Kagome had little reason to believe he didn't mean each word. Her feelings were hurt, anger idled in the back of her mind too, but, he was right. Her behavior had been downright nasty, and she was rude and inconsiderate.

 _He said he waited all night for me,_ Kagome recollected with her lips pulled tight, _and I basically told him he was stupid for doing so. Something is wrong with me. It's no wonder Inuyasha -_

Kagome held that thought and took a deep breath.

She treated Inuyasha worse of all, cruelly most would say, and, even had the _nerve_ to use him as a reference, like their friendship was still the epitome of comradery. Not to mention it was in bad taste. The younger sibling was more than a friend.

But the miko didn't have the courage to tell Inuyasha she were no longer in love with him. It was a strange place to be after she had yearned to be his throughout their travels, had chased him until _he_ caught her too. He wasn't what she expected. Kagome realized she had saw him through rose-colored glasses, and that she loved _her_ idea of who he was, not who he actually was.

It put a dagger into the relationship, notwithstanding her fickle and cold shoulder too. Their issues with intimacy was another glaring red flag considering their youth, but neither one were experienced with moving beyond it.

But there was something about Inuyasha that turned her off, a quality he could not help. Though, ironically, Kagome could have aided him with that if she lent more than her hand, perhaps, her mouth, or her body and -

\- loath every second of it. Without a doubt she knew he'd have her any way she were willing, but having sex out of obligation, or worse, pity, was sure to be a horrible experience for them both. She made use of her shower head or the end of her favorite hairbrush* when her need climbed anyway, and she figured Inuyasha relieved himself elsewise, privacy depending.

So, the bedroom died, and not even Tenseiga could resurrect it.

And her old flame was too loyal and stubborn to let her coldness push him away entirely.

 _Not now._

One day she would address the hanyou, but just not now. She didn't have the mental fortitude.

Kagome would self reflect about many things long into the night.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

There was a rustling as Sesshomaru came to.

He could sense the staggering presence of _many,_ more than he ever thought were possible. Millions of mortal souls. If the auras were anything other than human he might be concerned.

Just concerned though. Fear was beneath him.

Sesshomaru cracked his eyes and saw a high-strung Kagome staring down at him. He laid there looking up at the girl who appeared to be shaking with unspoken horror in her eyes, as if she were in danger.

" _Miko_ ," He rasped raw at her, arresting the air in Kagome's lungs, "there are two things I wish to say to you." He said propping onto his elbows, the sleeping bag sliding half-way down his torso.

She nodded hard, rattling her brain and closed her eyes. _Here it comes. My death._

He sniffed, and addressed her deep and listlessly. "I have never been so emotionally and physically exhausted so _frequently_ in all of my five-hundred years."

Sesshomaru believed his kind were damned, and nothing would convince him otherwise. Associating with ningen brought misfortune, more often death - which he just narrowly escaped. The evidence was there - his ancestors, dead, his father, dead, his brother - well… he _should_ be dead, but that's besides the point. Kagome was a nuisance, if not flat out bad for his health.

 _This better be worth it,_ he threatened himself, and staring at the girl.

Subconsciously, he knew she was worth the trouble, though, he didn't want to die before he discovered what all the hype was about.

Kagome didn't move as she waited. It was coming. His wrath. He was far too calm, which meant that he was utterly disgusted with her. The longer he took to speak the more she fell apart. She couldn't hold his gaze, hers fled to the well. It was a tempting thought, jumping down and running like thunder once she made landing on the other side.

Sesshomaru regarded her apprehension and sniffed, once more thereafter. He couldn't smell a thing, which was aggravating. Other than his vision most of his senses were in lack. He wasn't good at this, reading human emotion without analyzing their scents. He would have to pay close attention, a tall order for him.

He cleared his throat and asked, "Where are we?" That time he sounded more like his usual self, cool and apathetic. He knew they were in a timeworn shrine, but how they ended up there was a mystery to him.

Gaping, Kagome was stunned.

Sesshomaru surveyed the lambent environment as she fumbled with her answer. He regarded the space with half interest; a lantern on the floor wrapped in glass and metal that burned without a flame, his spiked armor and sword piled neatly in one corner, the strange yellow creature embroidered onto Kagome's blanket, the mangled Bone-eater's well to his right -

He steeled.

That he acknowledged with _concern_ , hesitant to tear away from it.

 _Why is he so goddamn unbothered?! Is he toying with me? Waiting for the perfect time to strike me down?_

"Miko," he said, finding her delay most annoying, "I asked you a question."

 _What if… Ohh. What if he can't remember?_ "We are in my time," Kagome finally replied teetering on the razor's edge of her nerves.

He sniffed again. Still nothing.

"I see." Was all he said.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome started very carefully, "do you not remember what happened?"

The dog turned back to her, his face stoic as ever. "I remember falling," he voiced casually, frowning thereafter, "and the palm of God." He then supplemented with a tinge of scorn. Sesshomaru was no stranger to Reiki. He skirmished with holymen, and, of course, Kagome, but unlike then the concentrated divinity which emitted from the portal gave him serious pause, pain too. _That_ was not to be trifled with.

"That's all?!" Kagome's disbelief was etched into her wide-eyed expression. "I mean...are you _sure_?" She probed slanting him a side-glance.

"Yes," he assured cautiously, now looking at her with suspicion, "Why? Did something happen?"

Kagome perked. "No, no." She blurted back a little too quickly.

Sesshomaru sniffed again.

 _How annoying,_ he griped _._ The youkai couldn't smell her but his brain told him that her mouth was lying. She was fishing for something. Or maybe she was just being weird, as per usual. He could never be sure with that one.

Kagome was visually relieved. If he didn't know then she wouldn't be the one to tell him. She would not subject herself to that kind of embarrassment - or maiming.

 _I'll take it to my grave,_ she vowed, like it never happened.

There was a period of silence as Kagome lassoed her wild emotions.

She noticed Sesshomaru looked a little worse for wear. If circumstances were lighter she'd giggle at the lengthy cowlick dangling down his right temple.

Clearly, not his finest hour.

"How do you feel?" The miko thought to ask. "You were out for a long time."

"Was I?" He sounded surprised.

"Yeah. Like eight or nine hours," Kagome said, pulling her fruit phone out of her pocket, "it's four thirty in the morning."

Sesshomaru observed the gold, rectangular slab in her hand curiously. The artificial light was intriguing. Cool and blue, unlike the soft, warm light from the lantern, and still no flame. But it wasn't interesting enough to draw out any questions from him. He understood that Kagome was strange, and as expected, there would be oddities in her world as a result. Regardless, she stuffed it back into her coat just as fast as she pulled it out.

"This one will feel better once he regains the feeling in his legs." There was a gasp, and he saw that worry sullied the girl's incandescent features. "Do not depress yourself over me. My body is merely stitching itself back together. I will be up and about shortly."

She sighed, unburdened, thankful the event hadn't left him crippled. Kagome wouldn't be able to live with that. "It wasn't too bad was it?" She wondered barely above a whisper and boring into the ground.

He sniffed.

"Reiki sears like a flame and rends muscle from inside. The more I struggled the hotter it burned." He explained as his eyes trailed down Kagome's face. Gold glinted away as she panned up. "We demons do well without blessings. Purification is… _unpleasant_." It was pointless to elaborate further. He couldn't remember much else.

Well, now she felt like an asshole. She forced him to suffer longer than necessary.

"Why did you jump in after me?" Kagome needed to know this.

He shifted his attention to the wall. Kagome saw his jaw clench, his eyes fractioning. She could feel him thinking, remembering. Hopefully, not _that,_ she briefly fretted. But the wait was too much to bare. Enough time had passed and he was enthralled with nothing.

She followed his eyes to what captured him. Surely, there was a reason for his interest with the wall. She couldn't understand why he were so keyed up.

A minute ticked, and Sesshomaru inhaled before he finally issued a vague and distant reply.

"You told me goodbye."

That was unexpected, as was the air in his speech.

"And _you_ said you didn't want me -" A slip of her tongue and his sharp leer stuffed her retort back down her throat. She couldn't decipher the emotion in his orbs either. But if she had to guess it read as confusion. "You didn't want this. You expressed that very clearly."

He was silent for only a heartbeat. "This one is accustomed to you."

"So you - _excuse me_?"Kagome blinked long and incredulously. _Hold on. Back up._

She needed a moment - or several to process his declaration, and once it registered she almost let out an unhinged laugh. She had an inkling of what he meant, but what he said - it was such a _Sesshomaru_ thing to say, and how he went about it too; so novel-esque and avant-garde…

It was irritating. And suddenly, she was peeved with him. She disliked his tendency to speak in riddles, his clever pussy-footing masked behind straight forwardness.

"Are you trying to say that you _like_ me?" Her voice was loud in the quiet of the early morn. Outside, the city still slept.

Sesshomaru shifted and sat up. He appeared to struggle before finally letting his eyes meet hers again. "Why do you insist on twisting my words?" The demon tightly accused.

"I can't even follow what you're saying half of the time." Kagome quickly returned. "I feel like I should have a dictionary on hand - you literally talk like a book."

There was a long pause and another sniff. "You do not know what "accustomed" means?"

Kagome scoffed. Sesshomaru gave her the slip. He hadn't been awake for more than five minutes and already she wanted to chop him in his goddamn throat. Maybe he'd talk plainly afterwards.

She opted to dodge his bullshit. "What do you mean, Sesshomaru?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. Evidently, the girl was a persistent moron. Had he not been clear? "I _meant_ what I said."

"Look," she began, and taking a calming breath, "all I'm trying to say is that's a funny way of telling someone that you like them."

To that Sesshomaru snorted. "I never said I _liked_ you." He quipped turning away, although… his baritone had elevated a tad higher than usual.

Kagome noticed.

He appeared decidedly uncomfortable. Too many emotions bounced throughout the shrine and upside his silver head. He _hated_ being reduced to reading her body language and tone. Kagome was too unpredictable for that crap. There was always uncertainty in regard to her mental process, and, desperately, the dog wished to get a sniff in edgewise. Because conditions weren't in his favor, and Kagome only thrived in an unstable state of being - her native habitat.

The youkai felt her stare. He glanced at her, anguished from what he saw. Hurt reflected in her eyes, something else too. _Is she nervous? Upset? What?_ He growled at such a low decibel it went unheard in the discomfiting silence. She exhausted him.

He swallowed just as she leaned closer, looking rather smug.

 _How? She was just -_

"Sesshomaru," she charmed sweetly with a tilt of her head.

The demon sensed a trap, or a noose wounding his neck, whichever. He sniffed involuntarily, and, faintly, just barely there, he detected his own essence, Kagome's too. It was staticky, as if inhaling a crackle, but there.

" _Accustomed_ used in that context can only mean one thing." She insisted. The youkai flicked his tongue over the point of a fang. "I have no problem with saying that I like you. No funny wording needed."

Sesshomaru frowned at her. "If that is so, then you have a questionable way of proving it - you liking this one." His withering side-eye coupled well with his bitter inflection.

It hit her like a truck, and Kagome realized, stupidly so, and for no good reason that she marred his feelings. _Of course,_ she did. She insulted him after all, lied and sexually assaulted him too -

One cannot be insulted if they felt nothing. And this was probably more difficult for him than her. Shamefully, and because he didn't wear his emotions out on his exquisite sleeves, Kagome disregarded his sentiments, unaware he possessed any to bruise.

And in spite of that he followed her. Even in the wake of abuse, whether youkai or mortal, dogs remained startlingly loyal. Kagome repaid Sesshomaru with a frown of her own - at which he turned away from.

An epiphany struck.

She understood. Sesshomaru knifed her because she did so first. He wished for her to feel what he did. He meant some she was sure, but since he was there and sulking on her sleeping bag -

 _God, I'm an asshole._

Kagome had to amend this, and now. It was clear that Sesshomaru would not tolerate her disrespect, which, oddly, stimulated a primal delight deep within. Respect was optional with the younger brother, unlike with the elder. His was mandatory. And Sesshomaru was a generous demon. He allowed some leeway, so, his terms weren't cutthroat. But if Kagome chose to buck with insolence and strain the extent of his progressiveness then she picked the _right one._

"Um… Sesshomaru?" Kagome voiced delicately. He ignored her. "Can you look at me please?" She sighed heavily at his well deserved cold shoulder, but he needed to hear this and she pressed on. "I've been thinking about what you told me yesterday. A lot."

Just as he slanted to her did a howling wail seize his attention. The screaming siren was novel, and Kagome gave him a moment, watching as he whipped around to stare at the shoji door, cocking his head to one side. Soon after his eyes flew to her.

"Anyway, yesterday... I thought about what you said about my character and all, and you were absolutely right."

"Naturally."

Not today, Satan.

His snark failed to wash her rueful expression away; her eyes cast down to the ground. "I've been such a horrible friend to you."

Silk swished against nylon as Sesshomaru fidgeted, the needles pricking his legs indicated movement was nigh. "It cannot be helped," he murmured in a low tone, "originally, you didn't wish to be this one's friend."

A sobering statement.

Kagome congealed as the full impact of his words hit her, and over the pound of her heart he heard her breathing pick up pace. What he said sucked the chilled air out the building, and left both to their respective distress.

Sesshomaru hadn't forgot Kagome never wanted anything to do with him, but still and all she was _tiring_. He remembered the remorse writ all over her face when his farse exploded in his. And consequently, there they were, sitting on the floor of yet another shrine, organizing emotions they hadn't anticipated.

He sniffed and there was the earthy scent of her sadness and regret - something else too. It was difficult to discern over the stench of the unknown. Her world filled every receptor and interfered with what he desired to identify.

"I don't feel that way anymore. I _want_ to be your friend, and without some stupid agreement - all of it. Let's just forget it all. It's funny," she chuckled without humor, "I told you that friends don't refer to one another with their formal names when I should have told you that we don't place each other under contracts."

He opened his mouth to reply, but Kagome didn't allow him. She let it all out.

"I'm _so_ sorry. Sorry for reducing you to… I mean... you're not a killer."

 _Actually, Miko…_

"I'm sorry for all the times I screamed in your face."

 _As you should be._

"Sorry for making you wait."

 _Keep going._

"All that stuff I said… I - I'm just _sorry_." She stopped and exhaled. Sesshomaru watched her closely, amber taking in every inch of the sincerity that shaded her small face. And though an elfin ear twitched, not even the eighteen wheeler roaring by outside could break him away from her.

"And sorry for… for - damnit." She bit out.

"Kagome -"

"No," she held up her hand, "I know I'm rambling. There's a lot I have to apologize for and I have to get it all out," she mumbled as she shrugged off the blanket and positioned onto her knees, "because I've been so bad…"

Sesshomaru felt himself become very still.

 _What is she… she's not -_

 _Oh._

 _She is._

 _This is...something._

Thinking was hard.

"...and it'll be easier if I just show you how sorry I am." Kagome insisted to the demon who received it with a delay. He watched her hands until they met the ground. On all fours she looked up and commanded his attention - his soul too. She continued to speak. He struggled to comprehend. The youkai grasped the gist as it sounded apologetic, but Kagome's words were all out of order, and it disarmed Sesshomaru completely. He shut his mouth, not realizing it had slacked.

She pled to him. He caught some of it as his glare fixed to her mouth. She wished him to _stay_ , and he heard five or six more sorries. Little thereafter, though. Raven spilled over her shoulder just as her head inclined, and his gaze shot up to confront hers.

As the demon did this he learned that he were in trouble.

Sesshomaru deemed her uncomfortably cute, smitten by her sweet mess of words, and her large, dark pools of ink that lured the lantern's glow to depths unperceived. Golden eyes could gleam and smolder, but gold - nor blue, red or green could ever hope to mirror the night's sky, leaving one to stargaze at a twinkling stellary.

Her earnst startled him.

 _This is dangerous,_ he thought absently, forgetting all the things she said; Sesshomaru forgave her hundreds of years ago anyway.

There was no escape. The miko enchanted the demon, lulling him into a dreamy, half-lidded stupor. And like Inuyoukai before him, Sesshomaru was a natural-born sucker for her stupid, _stupid,_ pretty human face. Kagome snatched him by the nape of his soul, and he would submit like a true dog.

He cursed in his head. He just _might_ give her anything. Sesshomaru would keep that quiet for now, not wanting to display his ambitions so nakedly.

"- so forgive me, okay?"

That expressed, she lowered to bow deeply and snapped him out his trance. Sesshomaru misplaced his entire catalog of the Japanese language as he sat up straight, eyes widening as her forehead rested on her knuckles.

After five seconds he arched a stately brow. Kagome appealed to his red-blooded nature on all fronts, and frankly, it felt _fantastic._ Far better than a face twisted by anger. And coupled with the doe-eyed expression she beamed up only to then lower her head back down...

He shifted against the floor and almost instructed her to do it again.

Sesshomaru swiftly reconsidered. His plan hadn't left egg on his face. The end result was her needlessly groveling before him, giving Jaken a run for his sniveling money. The girl who spat piss and vinegar since day one, giving ground on her knees and waiting for his reply -

It ought to be a sin for a demon to get such satisfaction from a priestess.

Perhaps it was.

Smuggery curled at the corners of his mouth. Kagome didn't _have_ _to_ beseech so thoughtfully, _like a good girl,_ but he greatly appreciated the sentiment.

"I forgive you," came his serene reception, and when she lifted her head she saw claws advancing to sweep hair from her brow. Sesshomaru would have her face bare as it pleased him. That gave her pause, as did the smile ghosting his lips. Short of a grin and more than his customary smirk, he graced her with a glimpse of ivory hardware, the points sheathed behind his lip.

Kagome reset to her haunches. She'd never seen a phantom smile - and was that a dimple?

Yes, yes it was. A few centimeters below beautiful markings.

But in the time it took her to blink he addressed the chinks in his armor and welded his features into steel.

Kagome prepared a question, but the demon put an end to that.

"This Sesshomaru offers his sincerest of apologies for having upset you." Robust and smoky, his voice made her squirm where she knelt.

But then, by surprise, he repaid the shell-shocked girl with a bow of his own, one barely there, a lordly nod; appropriate, for the demon's station resided high and his indoctrination spanned across five centuries.

Kagome should feel so honored. Sesshomaru curt for few.

The shift in their dynamic proved too indulgent to neglect. "You know, Kagome," her name lingered in his mouth, like he savored the taste, "I prefer you this way."

Still on her knees, Kagome twisted her face at him. "What?" She asked, blinking dumbly. "When I'm on my knees?"

That was close. Sesshomaru almost blurted ' _yes.'_ " _Pleasant_ , Miko. It suits you." Kagome looked away, color rising in her cheeks. "It would do you well to behave as a young ningen girl should."

Record scratch.

 _Wait a minute._

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Stay this way." He casually ordered.

"Hey, wait a minute. I'm larger than the box you want to stuff me in."

He shrugged. "I'm sure it's a lovely and accommodating box."

Dry humor.

Kagome pursed her lips. _Son of a -_ "I'm serious. That's kind of sexist."

Sesshomaru furrowed his brows as he weighed over "sexist." She didn't look inviting, no more than usual, so he determined his first assumption incorrect and opted to stare at her.

She sighed. "Basically, it means that you are prejudice against women and believe that we are supposed to act and speak in a certain way."

He considered her explanation, for a moment, and he seemed to have a change of heart, his expression softened. "If that is the definition then I am in agreement with it."

Perhaps not.

"What?! How can you 'be in agreement' with it? It's insulting!"

"Maybe so," he began, "but I prefer your company when you are nice. If that is _sexist_ , as you say, then so be it." Kagome pictured punching him in his stomach, his firm, well muscled stomach. He heard her sharp retort crowding at the back of her teeth and thought to add, "If you have objections I suggest you get over them, otherwise you might find yourself on your knees more often."

"I _knew_ that was a bad idea. Hmph! See if I ever get down on my knees for you again. And all you get is _one_." She pointed at the youkai. "I'm not a bootlicker."

"I beg to differ," he countered, smirking, "You are a natural and my boots are quite dry these days."

And so commenced her harmless smarting off, that of which he loosely followed. Sesshomaru preoccupied himself, sniffing.

 _Hn._

He thought he detected the stale scent of anxiety and the hint of a familiar…

In any case, they bantered long into the morning.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"No, really." Kagome huffed heatedly. "Gender roles are interchangeable in modern society."

Friendship restored, the pair had talked for hours on the ground in the shrine as Sesshomaru's youki worked overtime to heal him. The morning's light seeped through the shoji door, as did metropolitan racket, but both disregarded the clamor in favor of each other.

But that scent…

He sniffed. _I know this smell._ It was there on the edge of his senses.

Sesshomaru, sitting crossed legged and holding a bottle of water, frowned at his companion. "Interchangeable? Are you saying women perform jobs intended for men?"

"Something like that."

His stare had taken on a dubious cast. "Why would any maiden wish to bear the burden of a man? Ours is a nasty business."

"Burden? What, you think men have it harder?"

"Yes." He said without hesitation, and saw her face slip into something more angry. He sighed. "Though, I _suppose_ females have their own unique crosses to carry."

Kagome spent the last hour hacking away at his conservative way of thinking. The youkai imparted a few thoughtful 'hn's,' but his beliefs stubbornly held. Sesshomaru liked nice girls and was keen to lead and protect.

And that was that.

Moreover, he could only tolerate her long winded explanations so much. Her world didn't seem all that intriguing at the moment. And as she lit into him with another lesson - feminism or something or the other, his eyes reeled to the back of his head.

 _Such a bore._

He would ask or _gawk_ expectanly if curious - which he wasn't.

Sesshomaru supported his head with one hand and blinked dimly at her. It was when she spoke of women in the military did he interject. "They are eager to subject themselves to the bloody horrors of war? Odd. And why are you so adamant to insist likeness in regard to combative prowess? None of which you speak is rooted in reality."

The audacity of it all made her flinch.

 _Ooh, did he just?_

She leaned away and tilt down her head, then panned up his form as if to size him up. _Look at him just sitting there all smug._

And smug he was. Sesshomaru basked in the wake of his own misogyny, unbothered by the fire in Kagome's eyes and their present cultural misunderstanding.

"You know, your age-old way of thinking is starting to bug me. Do you really believe women cannot fight as well as a man?" Her voice had a tight quality about it and he didn't care.

"There are some exceptions, but yes. We are larger, stronger and unburdened by emotion," he regarded the vex in her eyes with secret amusement, "the last of which harasses you as I speak."

He sniffed. _Hmm._

Feeling self conscious, Kagome made an effort to fix what scowled miserably.

She failed.

"Oh _spare_ me. You're just an ignorant -"

The dog suppressed a snicker. There she went, huffing and puffing - growling? In that instance the Lord thought of her but a stage above a pup.

"- spoiled silk wearing - if I were raised in a castle I bet I could be groomed to be a great leader too. I could do your job."

The youkai scoffed. "Oh? And which of my roles can you fill?"

"All of them!" She fired back forthwith.

Sesshomaru, having successfully derailed the conversation considered this silly, because he realized, as she barked off, that what they were saying started to not make sense. It was strange, talking without a purpose, but he would entertain it.

"You?" He expressed quizzically. "Govern _my_ estate?" The chuckle that followed was light and aristocratic, and too high-handed for someone who's clothing were slack and wrinkled.

"That's right," Kagome said with a little less confidence clinching the end, and adjusting her body so that she faced him directly.

"But you are pitifully wet behind your ears; short of two decades. Your experience is in lack compared to one who is centuries old."

Kagome leaned in, closing some distance between their bodies and challenged, "Who cares? Age isn't everything and _clearly_ wisdom isn't guaranteed with it."

Sesshomaru followed suit and leaned forward. " _And_ you are just a young girl, a naive and poorly trained Miko. I doubt even the lowest of my servants would fear you."

"That doesn't matter," Kagome said staring up at his mouth, _remembering._ She could still taste his ghost, and just the thought made her bite her lip.

"It matters to demon-kind. You are _pure_ ," his oily voice emphasized from a dark and obscene corner in his mind; gold crashed into brown, "and this one is a bit of a heathen."

Kagome could only stare. His infliction was a slick, cautionary reminder that he were a sword-carrying godless creature of the night. And all at once she forgot what they were talking about. Something about enslaving women? That was fine.

Sesshomaru grew very still, amber branding her intently, and in his eyes was that exhilarating predatorial glint. _Try me,_ they dared.

Suddenly, feeling like prey, but not at all ready to yield, Kagome crossed her arms and fell back into a kind of defensive pout. Sesshomaru saw it as adorable, further proving his haughty point.

"I'm not all that pure." She stubbornly told him, and he half expected her to stick out her tongue as she did.

He sniffed, and _oh ho_ when he sniffed…

He finally identified what nagged him for hours. The sweet scent of her ambrosia. And it was not fresh but hours old.

Smirking, Sesshomaru smoothly unfolded his body until he stood tall before her. He left her to his pelt and slid by, the swaying tail end of silver strands brushing against her cheek as he went to retrieve his armor and blade. There he bent to pick up the spikes and froze.

Her scent was on _his body._

And he could only wonder why.

He straightened and turned to the girl. "Hn," the demon rumbled low in his throat, "Perhaps you are right, Kagome. Judging by your scent maybe you aren't so pure."

That shit eating smirk…

It unsettled her and she squirmed. "Y-you've been smelling me a whole lot lately." Kagome stammered.

She was nervous, that he could smell too, and that's when he knew he was right to suspect her lying about something earlier. It was obvious as he observed her toying with her coat's sleeve.

"Indeed. But I assure you, Miko, no more than the liberties you take with my body." Kagome's heart sank and hammered wild all the way down to her stomach, flopping like a fish when he quirked that one goddamn brow as he teased, "Liberties you are keen to levy when this one sleeps." He made a point to gesture at his robes.

The demon was a mess. His collar was partially open and hung wrinkled off his neck, exposing the silk underlayer, and around his waist both his sash and torso plate held on for dear life.

"You weren't asleep when - Mm." Kagome snapped her trap shut. _Almost._

"Hm? When what? Is there something you wish to tell me?"

"No."

A lie.

"There's nothing to tell." She lied again.

"Interesting." How she dreaded every crease of the conceit marring his features. "I can smell it - your lying, your embarrassment… among other things."

Kagome didn't speak, let alone look at him.

Shocking, he thought. She never shut up, but her silence said it all.

"For reasons unbeknownst to me you have decided to stand by your lie, and I can only _guess_ what occurred last night," Sesshomaru said stalking towards her, "but it must have been exciting for you." He taunted as he knelt, his face now a hands' length shy from hers. And as her angst filled his every sense, the Inuyoukai moved to take her chin between his claws and guided her up to his gaze.

Kagome was shook.

And he felt her shake, her jaw clenching under his grasp, heard her shallowing breaths and saw the rise and fall of her chest.

"You will confirm - _look at me_ ," he abruptly implored when she trailed down his throat, "Good. Now that I have your eyes, use your mouth and confirm something for me - some clarification will put my concerns at ease."

"What," she said, breathlessly.

"You've done away with our agreement in its _entirety_ , correct?"

Her brain lagged, but ultimately she nodded, and it took all of his strength to not smile. Sesshomaru would enjoy playing with her.

"You seem to be falling to pieces, Kagome," Sesshomaru noted casually, "but since you have nothing left to say, I will let go of the matter and your face."

He would find out what happened in due time…

But for now, Sesshomaru released her, and she watched his boots as he stood and backed off.

There was the matter of his clothing.

Loosening his sash, the demon dropped it onto the sleeping bag, the chestplate too and turned away from her. Then came the _slip_ of silk against silk, which compelled Kagome to look up and die. Sesshomaru stood with his kimono open, his shoulder lurching as claws breached the white border of his hakama.

"W-what are you doing?!"

Perspectives were deceiving, he merely pulled down an under layer from the junction of his thighs; her secret _ride_ hitched them uncomfortably high.

"Calm yourself. Do you expect me to trasipe about your world in my current state of dress?"

"My world? Oh, no we're going back."

"That," he said as he stopped fussing with his pants, "does not appear to be probable."

"What are you talking about? Of course it is. We're going back the same way we came.

"Come here," the dog instructed.

Sesshomaru said nothing as he took a small section of his hair and sliced through it. Kagome inhaled sharply at the sight of him. Either side of his robe wafted as he walked to the rim of the well; the girl joining him to his right just as he tossed in his locks.

The air sizzled and cracked, vaporizing his strands.

To that Kagome could only say one thing, "Ah, crap."

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

* **There was a mentioning of Kagome's favorite hairbrush (the one with the wide handle) in chapter 4. Not so pure indeed.**

 **So, Sesshomaru knows, but doesn't really** _ **know**_ **what happened to him.**

 **The next chapter will be somewhat funny, I'll give you a hint since this'll be the title, "Guess who's coming to dinner." LOL**

 **As always, thanks for reading!**


	26. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

**Oh, wow. There was an influx of new followers and comments the last few chapters. Joy! Thanks, I really appreciate it.**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"Wow. You sure are thorough." Kagome remarked watching Sesshomaru groom himself down to the last stitch and strand. It was unnecessary. They were only going to her house, not meeting the Prime Minister.

Satisfied with the state of his clothing, Sesshomaru gathered his hair over his shoulder and threaded his claws through, only snagging on a few tangles. He doubted Kagome recognized the significance of this, but he chose to keep her in the dark all the same. Grooming in front of her determined that the two quietly reached another milestone - Inuyoukai rarely _preen_ themselves before those not of their immediate pack. He felt she knew enough - for now, and when it suited him he'd gradually introduce her to more of his breed's peculiarities. He might even bless her with an explanation too.

Her back against the shrine door, Kagome stared at the youkai below, in awe of how particular he was. Dare she think it were a compulsion? It appeared to be.

She couldn't help feeling a little jealous too.

 _...using his fingers as a brush, yeah right_ , she groused, _I could never_. The perks of being a demon, she then figured, because it certainly weren't juices and berries that kept his locks glossy and smooth.

Sesshomaru felt her eyes all over.

"It seems you admire this one."

Kagome shifted from one foot to the other. "… your hair. It's luxurious and has a pretty color, that's all."

That was putting it innocently. She did _enjoy_ the visual of him, how his mane cascaded like running water off his shoulders. At that moment she made a promise that there would come a day she'd run her fingers through that silver current of his. And she'd get all up _in_ there, maybe mess around and smother herself too.

"High praise from a girl who swears she isn't a fawner." The demon patronized, flicking what she adored over his shoulder.

Her eyes shot sparks. "I guess," she tittered, giving a mirthless chuckle, "but I'm sure you get that all the time."

"Acclaim for my hair color?" He tucked a few wisps of silver behind an ear; his brows etching into a fine line. "That would be odd as it is no different from any other Inuyoukai."

 _Still exotic to me…_ "Well, when you put it that way - oh you won't need any of that," she told Sesshomaru just as he reached for his chestplate. "Leave it here, it'll be safe."

He gave her a thoughtful look and nodded. "Very well. However, I will take Bakusaiga."

Still needing to wrap his obi, he picked it up to do just that, and as he did he gave Kagome the opportunity to better judge his build. His armor had added bulk, but without it she learned his waist was a tad narrower than she first thought; his torso longer.

It seemed his favored a swimmer's physique. _Mercy._

Or so she _felt_ with the pictures her fingers painted last night. More research was needed since his form drowned in layers of silk. He had legs for centuries though, that she did know.

Kagome also knew that she had to lust with care around this demon. Sesshomaru had a sharp nose, but _shit,_ she hadn't expected it to be that keen. So, if she continued to wonderwhat flexed underneath he'd soon discover, and she didn't have enough resolve to deal with another intimate interrogation. She could handle him at a distance, but up close he melted her brain.

Kagome willed her pheromones to behave and allow her this pleasure as he made his final adjustments.

Her hand white-knuckled the door. "Are you ready?"

"Let's see it." He said, climbing the stairs.

"Just a second." Kagome stalled when he reached the top. "Now, before I open this door I'm trusting that you won't do anything cataclysmic, okay?"

"...Miko."

"Hm?"

"Open the door."

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

The sun reflected brightly off the snow.

Sesshomaru wandered out of the Higurashi shrine and into the 21st century as if he'd been there before. He regarded modern Japan with his usual bored expression, seemingly unimpressed with the sights and sounds. Although, the myriad of foreign scents did assault his nose in a most queer way.

Kagome watched his reaction with amusement. Neither brother were phased by her era. She smirked remembering Inuyasha's first uninvited visit. He had some nerve busting up in her home like she owed him rent money.

Sliding the door shut, the girl went after the dog, her footfalls crunching through the crust until she stood beside him. Sesshomaru stared at Goshinboku, his gaze glued to the deep, familiar scar, evidence it was the one and only sacred tree.

The girl to his left, the demon plodded down the terrace until he stood under the arched torii by the steps edge.

Kagome tensed when he glinted west. She hadn't gave it much thought before, but she was certain Kyoto was built over what was once his far-reaching territory.

However, Sesshomaru hadn't looked west for sentimental reasons.

As far as his eyes could see there was the overwhelming influence of ningen. Gone were vast stretches of wilderness and rolling hills. Man moved and shaped the soil, even leveled _entire_ mountains to overlay all with artificial rock and glass. He struggled to detect the aura of any youkai, nevermind the unsettling absence of worthy game. Kagome spoke the truth when she said ingenuity rewarded her species with the world.

It humbled the aristocrat.

For the second time in his life Sesshomaru felt insignificant - the first had been when he were an adolescent. He sniffed himself a little too hard after gaining the ability to transform into a true dog, and like a fool he challenged his great father - who simply cracked him over his skull and knocked him stone cold stiff into the dirt.

A commercial airliner roared within earshot.

The youkai glanced up and double took. Squinting, he studied the aircraft's startling velocity and determined it traveled _a lot_ faster than any of his forms.

"You fly." Sesshomaru stated, unable to conceal the shock in his voice. "How can that be?"

"I don't know how airplanes work, but I can Google it for you later."

"... what." He blinked vacantly, processing the strange word until decidedly at a lost.

"Ah. Sorry. Google is an online search engine… "

It sounded like Japanese but he wasn't sure.

" - and you can find just about anything on the internet. But nevermind that, I'm ready to get out of the cold." She shoved her hands into her pockets just as a wintry breeze gusted frigid and sharp, whipping raven and silver against their faces. Like a knife the wind cut through her clothing, utterly disrespecting her coat.

The demon's interest returned to the skies.

"Hey." Kagome called, enduring another biting blast. In the distance was her neighbors' indistinct chatter and shovels scraping against pavement.

Kagome pulled her hand out of her coat and hesitated. The cold sliced at her fingertips as she weighed over her next move, unsure if it were okay. But she swiftly made up her mind and wrapped her frozen fingers around his claws, yanking him down from the clouds.

Gold careened into brown. He trailed down his arm and saw that her hand disappeared into the hem of his sleeve. She squeezed his palm, and without thinking he encased his fingers around hers.

"Come on," she sniffled. "My house is right over here."

He could gawk at the city later.

His claws hostage, Sesshomaru allowed her to escort him through the yard. His gaze fell onto her several times but each she avoided. Knowing little of her world, he understood that he was now at the mercy of a girl who stood a full foot shorter than himself.

What a timeline.

Kagome released his hand shortly before arriving at her front door. "Here we are," she announced walking in, the demon right behind her, "take off your boots."

"Why?"

"So the floors can stay clean." Offended, he slipped her a sore look. "Oh, no. Don't take it that way. Most people don't wear outside shoes indoors."

Silently, he watched Kagome remove her boots and slip into a pair of fuzzy slippers. On the floor there were other strange footwear lined neatly along the woodwork.

"What are you waiting for? Shoes, off." She ordered pointing at his feet.

"This is a strange custom." He admitted as he bent over and untied his hakama from around his ankles. The tail end of his pants billowed once liberated from his shoes.

 _Unbelievable. Even his socks are silk._ "Come on, let's sit in the living room. We've got a lot to talk about."

"Living room?" Sesshomaru echoed following her through the smallest corridor he'd ever seen. Along the walls hung family photos. A tiny, smiling Kagome posing with an even tinier boy briefly caught his eye.

"Modern speak for social room." She explained.

Walking into said room, Sesshomaru curiously took in the environment. Everything was just so... _unusual._ He hadn't anticipated - well, he weren't sure what he had expected to see, but most items required no explanation though. Furnishings were a given, however, the large, black window mounted on the wall warranted a slight tilt of his head.

There was a soft jangling from another corner of the house, but neither paid it any mind.

"Make yourself comfortable," Kagome insisted shrugging out of her coat. She had been fully prepared for another night in the freezing shrine back in the feudal era; underneath she wore a wool sweater thicker than cold peanut butter.

The elder brother thought the sofa looked welcoming, so he ambled over and neatly sat down on the cushion to the far left.

Kagome needed a moment.

 _This is bizarre,_ she thought.

Sesshomaru was so painfully out of place. He sat very still, as if he were the subject in an old masterpiece - a stark contrast to the iphone cable and T.V. remote to his right. He also displayed no emotion, taking to his usual listless state.

He stared at the girl, and she gawked in kind.

 _I'm looking_ _ **right**_ _at him and I still can't believe..._ Kagome didn't mean it, her gaping, but this was weird for her, and he was _striking_. Everything around him seemed inadequate. Free from his armor, she couldn't help but think he looked more like a prince in that moment than any other.

"Is there something you wish to say to me?"

The sudden rumble of his voice in the quiet resounded in her head, and Kagome found herself gathering what was left of her sleep deprived mind.

But she just didn't have the strength. "I don't know... I'm exhausted - I've been up all night."

Finally, and to her relief, his intense glare focused elsewhere. There was that jangling again, and that time Sesshomaru scanned the room. Finding nothing, he said, "You could have slept. What kept you awake?"

The question dropped in the silence between them, falling like a rock to the floor.

"You." Was all she could say without further incriminating herself. It wasn't the whole truth, but more importantly it wasn't a lie either.

Tension heightened between them.

Sesshomaru plucked at the cuff of his sleeve, bored, while Kagome studied her feet as if they were the most interesting objects in the room. The awkward vibe killed her softly, and she desperately needed to overcome it.

" - something to drink?" She blurted, "Ah, I mean… would you like something to drink? We have tea, all kinds too, but I'm willing to wager that you'd like something we call coffee."

"I will try this coffee you speak of."

"Great," she said, on her way to the kitchen, "because I could use a stiff dose of caffeine right now."

Sesshomaru listened to her racket. There was a clicking noise, a fire roaring to life, a running faucet, and an alien beep followed by motorized whirring. Most of the sounds were new, baffling, and not at all organic, but it wasn't unsettling, just different.

In the kitchen, Kagome started to feel warm. Her sweater was way too heavy to wear comfortably anymore, so she pulled it over her head and hung it over a chair.

A few minutes later the robust aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted under Sesshomaru's nose, as did the scent of a small feline -

His eyes narrowed.

The instant he heard that familiar jingling was when he felt a tug on his pelt. Leaning over, he glowered at a portly calico pawing his mokomoko.

Sesshomaru would have none of it.

He urged his fur to slither up the arm of the sofa, but Buyo would not be denied. Teeny claws swatted in pursuit, catching on upholstery until capturing its fluffy prey off the chair's edge. The dog _snatched_ away his fur and collected the mass onto his lap.

With contempt, and loud enough for Kagome to hear, he stated, "You have a cat."

" _I have a dog too,"_ she mumbled under her breath. Sesshomaru growled. He heard that. "Yeah, his name is Buyo, and I'm surprised he's awake - he's like the laziest cat ever."

A short pass into silence.

"Miko… _make it stop_."

"Huh? Stop what?"

Receiving no answer, Kagome closed the frig and went to see what all the bellyaching was about. Walking in, she straight out laughed at what she saw.

Buyo decided he liked the dog.

Purring lovingly, the feline was rubbing his furry little head under the demon's chin. Sesshomaru's eyes were shut, and it was obvious His Royal Highness was not at all pleased. "I do not like this." He deadpanned; Buyo's tail curling along his set jaw.

"Clearly," Kagome added, still humored, "but _aww_ , Buyo likes you. And you know how cats are, the more you ignore them the more they want your attention."

Gold shot open. "But I don't want -"

His mouth shut as he was properly introduced to her body. During their time together, Kagome had always wore a sweater or jacket that hid her form, but now she donned a gray, long sleeve v-neck that stopped at her hip and clung to her every dip and curve. His heated glare flew to ebony which hung alluringly over her creamy collarbone, then, lower, down to the swell of her breasts. There he lingered, burning a hole through her chest, noticing a faint tracing of fabricthat restrained her bust.

He steadied himself as this was obscene.

In particular what she wore on the bottom half of her body. He made it his personal business to get acquainted with her black leggings. Her pants might have as well been a second skin. They hugged her so tightly around the crotch that not only could he see the outline of her mound, he could see dead through her thighs. It was just large enough a space to accommodate his fingers if he dared to explore.

Actually, Sesshomaru _could_ dare. He was proud and domineering, and unlike his brother he wouldn't shake or stumble around her body. Well, he might tremble, for different reasons. In any case, she'd probably scream _hentai_ and call to the well, purifying him on the spot if he tried anything right now.

Poker faced, he suppressed a shudder. It almost hurt to look.

Come to think of it, he failed to see that as a negative. A little pain paired well with pleasure. Kagome could never hope to seriously harm him. If he so desired his demonic aura would devour her soul, and physically he'd ruin her.

 _No,_ he thought _, that might be too much._ He'd leave her shattered after he made a mess of her, naturally, but what was her limit? He ached to learn this.

The small table which separated them seemed sturdy enough to lay his mortal spread down for a feast, or, perhaps the sofa.

Decisions, decisions.

Sesshomaru quickly worked out the logistics - he would have her on her back the first time for sure. He imagined she'd level nicely off the edge of the couch, granting his groin with perfect leverage when down on his knees. The position was most comfortable for -

His throat went dry, and he had to swallow a few times. Buyo began to knead his chest but it didn't register.

 _She is untouched,_ he darkly remembered. His body came to attention as she sashayed closer.

So, a definite no to _ruining_ her, but Sesshomaru would settle for exhausting her instead. He assumed she'd fail to keep pace with him, seeing that dogs have excellent stamina, but he would give Kagome everything so long as she were willing to receive it.

And if he, a demon, could figure out how to slither his way inside of a miko, a virgin at that -

He swallowed again, his desire flickering to life. Such a thing would be beyond the pale, if not forbidden in their respective societies.

But that's why it was so appealing to Sesshomaru. In his world the girl was considered fully inferior, in hers, he was the devil's incarnate. Deep down he didn't agree with that in its entirety, but deeper still, beyond the reach of his civility, there was a dark, sweltering door that housed all of his kinks. And he prayed she shared his sentiments, some at least. He would still enjoy the activity regardless, but if she too got off on their lopsided stations -

Kagome, standing directly in front of the lusting demon, extended her arms.

\- because Sesshomaru could go no lower than a human, could do no more evil than corrupt a miko, leaving her forever tarnished for her own - literal blasphemy. Beastiality too, topping it all off...

In that case, he was decidedly fucked, and hard too.

Kagome removed the cat from his lap.

Now _he_ was the one who needed a moment. He wasn't embarrassed, just glad his pelt covered his lap.

But his eyes never left her.

Sesshomaru had the _gall_ to stare fiercely. If Kagome were willing to put it out on display, and trust, he thought she was _out_ and prime in all the right places, then he'd rudely leer without an ounce of shame.

And as he did, he assumed his own conclusion, why the modern world was infested with ningen. Females were wrapped so damn tight in his time, and for good reason too. Kagome was so distracting that it required effort to remember why she was standing in front of him in the first place.

"Thanks for not maiming Buyo here," Kagome told him. She flipped her chubby feline on his back in the crook of her arm and rubbed her face against his.

Sesshomaru's expression hardened.

To him, that… it was just _wrong -_ Kagome acting so affectionate with a friggin' cat. Since when did humans do such a thing? Her display did allow the demon to push the bedlam of depravity out of his head though, making room for -

No.

He wasn't jealous.

Definitely _not_ jealous of a cat. But he was mildly peeved with her. _He_ couldn't so much as get a sniff in or touch her face without her getting all discombobulated, but the little fur ball could.

 _Whatever_.

Still not jealous.

Kagome put Buyo on the floor. "Ah, that's right. The coffee. Sorry, I got a little distracted. Let me wash my hands and go get it."

Watching her leave was his pleasure, if only she'd slow down...

 _Mew_

"Go away." Sesshomaru hoped his tiny pest wouldn't make a habit out of this. He didn't care for cats, and he knew Kagome wouldn't appreciate him fixing his claws into its neck either.

Not long after the object of his intense desire returned brandishing two mugs.

"Now go on, Buyo - shoo!" Kagome scolded half-heartedly. The cat made itself scarce, and finallySesshomaru could be a dog demon in peace. "I swear he was never like this with Inuyasha."

Sesshomaru set his jaw at the mention of his brother. She told him Inuyasha was the only other who could travel through the Bone-eater's well. And he wasn't too concerned with it either. Kagome said it wasn't the first time the portal had been out of commission, and that they'd sort it out eventually.

But if somehow his brother did appear while he was there with Kagome...

There'd be some furniture moving around in the Higurashi home, bet on that. For if they _ever_ saw each other an immediate, if not physical misunderstanding was sure to follow.

The miko handed her guest his cup and sat down on the far right of the couch. Sesshomaru followed her every move, loving the way her hips folded over, though, he was annoyed with the irritating distance she put between their bodies.

Kagome tried to evade her unease. She noticed his staring earlier. It was impossible not to considering she would've felt it through a brick wall. And even now, as she sipped her drink, his eyes skated across everything but her face. The unmitigated nerve.

A flush crept up her cheeks when their eyes met.

"Why don't you try it." She said.

"...hm?"

"Your drink. It's black coffee - no cream or sugar unlike mine, but I thought you might want to try it in its purest form first." She shrank back in the sofa. "Look - I've got to say it… you're making me nervous, and you're acting weird - more than usual I might add."

"Am I?"

"Yeah you are. What's got you so… distracted?"

He glanced at the steam rising from his mug. "You."

Sesshomaru could almost hear her pulse sky-rocket. He grinned wickedly in the privacy of his head.

"...oh, but I'm not all that interesting."

"Actually -"

"W-why don't you try it now - the coffee. It's best when it's hot." The implications of his new expressions alarmed and excited her, and she heard it before it escaped his lips. He was going to say something that would make her already frayed nerves more frazzled, adding to her anxiety, which currently floated around the room like a burning incense.

 _He did say I was easy on the eyes though.. ._

She watched him sniff his brew.

 _And he was obviously checking me out..._

He took a sip.

 _And we're alone… in my house…_

Sesshomaru screwed up his face and shook his head. "What awful stuff." Immediately, he sat the mug down on the table.

Kagome giggled softly. She figured knowing black coffee was an acquired taste, but she wanted to check anyway.

"So... how's it taste?"

"Like an assault." He dryly replied.

"Here," she said with a smile, "try mine. It's not as bitter and it's sweet."

She had him at _sweet._ Sesshomaru grabbed her cup and took a sip, then, another. "This tastes much better."

Kagome noticed he took a drink from the same side she had. It might have been intentional, but she wasn't sure.

She held up her hand when he tried to give it back. "No, you drink it. I'll go and add some creamer to this one."

She got up and took several quick steps, however, she could feel it again, his eyes all over. Abruptly, she whirled around and sure enough his covetous leer greeted her.

Kagome squared her shoulders. Hadn't he got his fill? "Would you stop doing that?"

Sesshomaru would play dumb. "Stop what, Miko?"

She bit back a scream. "Your staring. Jeez, I can feel it _creeping_ up and down my back. "

He sipped his coffee thoughtfully, then looked her dead in her blushing face and said, "If you do not wish for me to look then perhaps you should restore your modesty."

"My modesty? What're you - I'm literally covered from head to toe over here. " Her body locked with aggravation. "You can't even see my ankles! What do you want me to do? Dress like a priestess in my own home? Do you have any idea how hot and itchy…" She took a breath. "In _my_ time women can dress however they like. Hmph."

She'd cross her arms if it weren't for the mug she held.

"Miko," Sesshomaru calmly started, "let it be said that this one fully supports your desire to parade about unraveled." He made a point to stray southwards, settling around her thighs. He saw her tense there, and masked a smirk. "But you must understand," he sighed, "your clothing is _quite_ form fitting. Your hakama alone is prone to displaying your feminine attributes, and I have to admit that it is a bit of a shock to me. So, that leaves you with two options - either cover yourself or _-_

"Whoa, hold on. You know what," Kagome interrupted, "I'm going to stop you right there because I _need_ caffeine for whatever this is. And when I get it," she added pointing a _mean_ finger, " _let's argue_." She ground out, voice dripping with threat.

The corners of his mouth twitched. He almost laughed at her. Their impending exchange was sure to be entertaining.

And he waited for it - until there was a crash in the kitchen.

" _Argh!"_ Kagome had dropped the cup. _"Oh, man, that was my favorite one too,"_ She grumbled. _"Yay… just what I wanted to do at nine in the morning - sweep glass."_

Having swept up the shards, she fetched the mop and bucket to clean up the spill.

The demon had been listening, but he stopped when he heard voices just outside her house. Moments later someone slid the front door open.

" _Be careful, gramps. The porch is slippery."_ Sesshomaru heard a young male say. _"Hey, who's shoes are those?"_

" _Hmm… Kagome's boots are here too, and they're still wet. Oh, maybe she's entertaining a guest."_ A woman answered.

Mrs. Higurashi walked into the living room shortly after. Sesshomaru noticed her resemblance to his miko and realized he was probably looking at her mother, the lady of the house.

The woman smiled brightly at him. "Why, hello there."

Sesshomaru stood, and as he did he was the definition of grace. He gave her a small curt and the woman repaid him with a deeper bow.

"Oh, my goodness, you certainly are tall, aren't you?" She remarked craning up at him.

Sesshomaru blinked at her.

"Who's tall?" Sota asked tramping in. "Hey, who's the fluffy dude?"

"Sota," his mother chastised, "mind your manners. I'm sure he's here because of our Kagome. What is your name, dear? You can call me Mrs. Higurashi or Mama, whichever you prefer."

"This one is Sesshomaru, Lady Higurashi." He didn't feel comfortable with the latter she suggested.

Mama, however, had no such problem getting familiar with him. " _Ooh,_ what a well groomed voice you have, Sesshomaru-kun."

The youkai didn't know how to feel. These people were so welcoming, like it was normal for Daiyoukai to stop by for unannounced visits.

Rinsing the mop head under the running faucet, Kagome thought she heard voices. She shut off the water and went to investigate.

"So, Sesshomaru… how do you know my big sis? What are you to her?"

Just as Kagome made it to the kitchen's walkway did she hear Sesshomaru say:

"I believe this one is her boyfriend."

Kagome's eyes grew wide as all outside. "What?!" She exclaimed, crumbling into herself as everyone turned to her. Sesshomaru had the confidence to look her in the eye the longest.

"Boyfriend? Seriously?" Sota thought the demon spoke with conviction, and with a cheeky sidelong glance he asked, " _Does Inuyasha know_?"

The youkai glanced down at the youth. "What business would that be of my brother's?"

"Brother?!" Sota couldn't even close his mouth. His hand flew to his forehead. "Oh man. This is too good."

Mrs. Higurashi cleared her throat. "I presume Inuyasha is the younger brother?" She called it not long ago, her daughter's shenanigans. And going by the brilliant shade of crimson surging through her face, he was definitely that _unwanted_ friend of hers. But her first sweetheart's brother? Yikes.

Kagome became one with her numbness as it infused to her spirit, and in her throat her blood-pressure throbbed wild. Sesshomaru severely misunderstood the meaning of the term "boyfriend."

"You got it all wrong," Kagome slid into the fray, "He's not my boy -"

"Half-brother to be precise." Sesshomaru clarified, for it was a very important distinction.

"Well…" Mrs. Higurashi expressed, her smile just a tad strained, "isn't this something."

"Yeah, sis is a two timer."

"Sota," Kagome grit, "I swear to God I will end - um... mom? What are you doing?"

Her mother couldn't resist and invited herself to fondle Sesshomaru's pelt. He would allow it, as he was a guest in her home and humans were ignorant, but he'd rather not.

"This is lovely - oh! And so warm too. What kind of fur is this?"

"Mine," he said straight faced, and with painstaking care he slowly pulled it from her grasp. "It is part of me."

She flinched at the fur's movement. "Oh. I feel embarrassed, I'm sorry, Sesshomaru-Kun. How rude of me."

He accepted her apology with a nod.

"What's all this ruckus in here?" Came an old and tired voice from the hallway. "You sense it too, ey? Something _evil?_ "

Sesshomaru heard that god-awful jingling and took in a miserable breath. His stalker was back and rubbing against his leg.

And now he had the most decrepit human being he'd ever seen shooting daggers at him. The demon was stunned. He didn't know humans could reach a leathery state such as his.

"Gah! I knew it. A youkai! Kami-above, who let this pale brute in?!"

"Grandpa!" Kagome was so embarrassed. Later she'd go outside and start digging. Sesshomaru's claws were dependable, so he could help her with her burial plot. Sheepishly, she glanced at him and saw that secret outrage reflected in his golden eyes.

"Now, now, grandpa. He's our guest." Mrs. Higurashi tried to tell him, "This is Sesshomaru, he's Inuyasha's brother."

"The clumsy one's brother, eh?" The old one clasped his hands behind his back and stepped to the demon. Inclining his head, he stared at him for a good, long while and croaked, "I don't like him!"

A collective sigh spread throughout the room.

Gramps didn't care for Sesshomaru at all. He didn't like the way he held his high-handed body, his appearance - all of it, and _especially_ that icy and cunning glint in his eyes. Something about this demon shook him to his core. There was an innocence about the dog-eared one that was nowhere to be seen in the elder's face. It unsettled him. He could feel it in his arthritic bones that Kagome's virtue was at risk around this one.

If only grandpa knew just how right he was he'd put Sesshomaru out on his royal ass.

* * *

 **Buyo annoying Sesshomaru will be a thing. No peace! Wherever you go, Sess, he'll be there, watching, rubbing his paws together in wait, and purring. Forever purring.**

 **So the story is going to take a slice of life kind of vibe for a bit - however, enough time has passed, and Inuyasha and the gang should be reaching that northern mountain now. Remember that nosy dragon? Yeah, him. The plot moves on. Because something is bound to happen now that the big dog is away…**


	27. If You Lie To Me

" _ **Um… what is Sesshomaru doing?"**_

 **His best, okay? So hold this plot for me because this is chapter mostly fluff.**

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

It was dinner time and Sesshomaru was dog-hungry.

He hadn't consumed something substantial since the sub-adult kitsune he killed a week prior.

The faint trace of brine let him know that most of the food in front of him came from the sea, so this meal was sure to be a novel experience - if sharing a feast five-hundred years in the future with ningen and a cat - currently sleeping under his chair - wasn't odd enough.

Sesshomaru never had seafood. River fish, yes, but only on rare occasions. Inuyoukai aren't partial to fishing in the seas. Mainland predators, the canines did well to avoid the disadvantages associated with the ocean. Not being able to breathe underwater was a major concern, and having a vain nature, a matted, waterlogged pelt was another.

His alleged girlfriend said they were having sushi, but the spread that lay before him was alien. He heard of the dish, humans impregnating fish with salt to preserve it - sushi in the feudal era, but this array had been sliced and wrapped neatly around small mounds of rice.

Wait.

 _Gods be still -_

More curious than the reddish-pink strips of bluefin tuna was the bundle of _what the fuck_ Mrs. Higurashi served around the table. A portion raw, a share grilled, it was the first time he'd seen squid. Careful to steel his features, he eyed the tentacles miserably as she piled a ration onto his plate.

Sesshomaru retreated into his mind and hacked. There he heard his beast retch, threatening to hurl them both off a mountain side if he dared to sample.

Kagome, sitting to his left, sent him a rickety glance. To anyone else he seemed collected, perhaps disinterested, but she _knew_. Kagome spent enough quality time with the demon to differentiate his passive expressions and veiled emotions that all but rioted beneath the surface.

The left plane between his eye and nose tweaked ever so subtly.

He looked so focused and upset.

Good, Kagome thought.

 _At least I'm not the only one who feels uncomfortable here. Because this…_

She surveyed the table, taking in the surreal scene - her family breaking bread with Inuyasha's overdressed brother.

Her mom wore an insufferable grin - no doubt enjoying every bit of this travesty - as Sota happily stuffed his maw, his face buried in his phone. Grandpa, however, grumpily snatched a cut off his chopsticks, all the while chewing and glowering at Sesshomaru - who just sat there, all silk and fluff, perched stock-still on his chair.

It was the epitome of what was now her awkward life, a true blunder, a cringe that kept on cringing, and hopefully, a wound which the Bone-eaters well would eventually heal.

The miko and the demon exchanged hurting glances, and when they did their souls cried out to one another for support. Her spirit all but warped from the pressure, whereas his whined long and high, wishing the creature on his plate would hither away back into the Pacific.

Noticing how he stared at his food, Kagome thought to enlighten him.

"It's squid." She leaned in, whispering. "When it's cooked it kind of tastes like shrimp, so try that one first."

He nodded once, feigning comprehension. Sesshomaru didn't know what a "shrimp" was either, but he refused to question the edibility of the fare. That would be rude.

Kagome sighed as she gathered grilled squid between her chopsticks.

In the middle of the table was three shallow dishes, each harboring a substance darker than the last.

Sesshomaru grabbed his utensils and held them tight as he watched everyone take their choice of seafood and dip it into their preferred sauce. Kagome doubled up on ginger and wasabi and took a bite. It raised her mood immediately.

"Mmm-wow," she praised with sparkling eyes, "this is great! It's seasoned so good."

Her mother wiped her mouth, revealing a small, pleasant smile as she pulled her napkin away. It waned when she noticed their guest hadn't touched his plate. "Is something wrong, Sesshomaru-kun?"

 _The lot of it,_ he thought. Unfortunately for him, modern Japan was fresh out of his usual prey items.

"He's… sort of picky, mom." Kagome answered for him.

"Oh, dear."

Sota continued to gorge.

"It's not bloody enough," the old man chimed in, his sixteen teeth working his mouthful the best they could. " _Yes_ ," he drew out, swallowing, and now speaking to Sesshomaru, "I imagine you prefer your food writhing and screaming."

Kagome flinched.

She wondered how much of this the prince would tolerate before he snapped and beat her grandfather down to the white meat.

Thoughtfully sipping his tea, Sesshomaru said nothing. Such ridiculousness wasn't worthy of a reply. He did relish in the flavor of fresh blood, but eating prey alive was a chaotic business, not to mention savagely cruel.

"Is this your first time eating this?" Mama asked Sesshomaru.

"It is." He said, staring down his fine nose.

"Go on and try it, you never know - you just might like it. And if you don't… we'll prepare something else to your liking, won't we, Kagome?"

Her daughter chuckled nervously. "Well, we sure can _try_." _Mom… if you only knew..._

He would partake for her. The lady of the house was a lovely hostess, and the least he could do was taste it.

Sesshomaru decided on the sushi first, saving the miniature krakens for last. He gave it a quick sniff and took a bite.

His brows rose to his fringe. The tuna's fat content surprised him, as did the meaty and delicate flavor clinching the end. It was so good he didn't mind the rice, another first for him.

"Verdict?" Kagome asked.

"It's delicious," Sesshomaru accepted, picking up another. He was also curious of the mixtures, and feeling brave he sampled those as well. The soy sauce was too salty for his tastes, but overall not bad. Then came the ginger sauce. Pungent and sweet, tart danced on his tongue, blending perfectly with the tuna and activating taste buds he didn't know he had.

He ignored the third option.

To his relief, the cuisine exceeded his expectations. _Clever creatures,_ he supposed, recognizing that when one governs the lands that leaves ample time to experiment with food, among other things - like the stainless steel appliances which conjured fire and ice.

Which brought forth uncomfortable questions. How did demon-kind fall behind? Was it a lack of urgency? Did they not care that humans conspired by candle-light until they figured out how to capture it in a bulb? Long lived, inventing would come if absolutely needed, otherwise youkai were content with the ways of old.

Meanwhile, Kagome was glad. Save for her scowling grandfather, dinner was going swimmingly, and she no longer felt nervous. Instead, playful mischief tingled in her heart. Sesshomaru hadn't tried the Wasabi yet, and she wondered if like his brother if he too had an aversion to spice.

"Say, Sesshomaru," she started to say, her voice innocent and sugary all of a sudden, "why don't you try the green one there? It's full of flavor and just as good as the others."

"Oh," her mother interjected, "be care-"

Kagome tucked in her lips and briefly jerked her head, signaling to her mom that she were up to no good. Having understood, Mrs. Higurashi mirrored the sportive expression in her daughter's eyes and nudged Sota. " _Watch,"_ she silently mouthed to him.

Since Kagome seemed to like it, dipping as he considered, Sesshomaru would dabble.

He _washed_ his morsel in the green paste and slid it past his lips.

Chewing, chewing slower -

He stopped.

Through the fire and the flames the wasabi _bit back_. And since all eyes were on him, he reluctantly swallowed with burning regret. It felt like the devil himself tiptoed down his throat in a pair of white hot slippers.

He exhaled and coughed.

His fangs sizzling, slowly, and in a calm panic, Sesshomaru politely set his chopsticks on his plate and sought out his tea. He downed the entire cup. The last gulp he pooled in an attempt to drown the hot scorching his gums.

Laughter rounded the table.

"Wasabi is a little spicy." Kagome giggled high and bright.

 _A little?_

Tears gathered. It cleared his sinuses. " _That_ I do not care for." Sesshomaru imparted, feeling betrayed and blinking through damp lashes.

That fiery experience behind him, all carried on with their meal, the conversation light. Grampa excused himself to catch up on all the calamity in the world - the evening news, much to the relief of all. Soon after Sota hurried away to his room for a long session of online gaming. Sesshomaru even tried the squid, which only appeared worse than its taste. He was shocked to learn that he preferred grilled over raw, never caring for cooked flesh before. His natural diet was rather bland, so some kimchi seasoning did him well and opened his mind.

But it was when Kagome served him a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream did his taste buds truly sing.

Pure, sugary bliss, that of which he hadn't prepared for. Sesshomaru was born again; his revelation utterly divine and creamy and delivered on the edge of his spoon. He shifted in his seat and delighted in the second taste as much as the first. For a moment, he paused and met Kagome's smug face, exposing the sheer euphoria in his.

"Wasn't it a certain demon who told me that he didn't like what we humans call food?" Kagome taunted standing over him.

"You will not interrupt me."

"I'm just saying… come up for air."

"I will breathe when I'm finished."

As her mother began to clear the table, Kagome sat down with her dessert and struggled to not stare, failing laughably. _A mighty predator,_ she mused, _with deadly claws and fangs - sitting here and enjoying ice cream of all things._ She smiled to herself. It had been quite the day. Kagome experienced every emotion on the spectrum, but presently none of that mattered. Not even when her mother stopped to notice her admiring Sesshomaru's facial harmony.

Mrs. Higurashi understood the implications behind that _look._ Kagome seemed all too willing to jump into a love triangle. Branch swinging to the elder brother was just another prime example of young, passionate melodrama. She might make some phone calls later. Gossip such as that was sure to part pinkies from tea cups.

Regardless, she trusted her daughter's judgement, and assumed Sesshomaru was probably just as honorable as the younger. And she _knew_ Kagome wouldn't dare partake in any _funny_ business under her grandfather's roof.

She hoped.

Kagome finally felt her mother's scrutiny. "Leave the dishes, mom. I'll wash them when we're done."

"No, it's quite alright. I'll handle them myself, but you can help me with something else. Since we do not know how long Sesshomaru-kun will be staying with us, prepare your father's old study later. The futon will need some fresh bedding."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

As Kagome led Sesshomaru up the stairs, she felt the weight of his footfalls behind her. He was close. Her gait stiffened as an anxious, carnal thrill crept up her spine. She knew his gold pinged up and down her back and everywhere in between, but she didn't have the courage to turn around and confirm it.

Kagome decided addressing his earlier misjudgement would help smooth her nerves. "You cannot go around telling people that you're my boyfriend." She murmured low.

A few steps behind, Sesshomaru admired each climb of her lean and supple legs. "We are friends, are we not?" He sounded distant preoccupied with the urge to reach out and palm what curved deliciously.

Kagome regained some resolve and looked over her shoulder. She caught Sesshomaru drifting up to her face, as if to deliberatelymake her wait for his gaze. "Yes, we are _friends_ -"

She tripped on the last step.

"But _boyfriend..."_ she resumed, sailing past what just happened, "it doesn't mean what you think it does."

"Enlighten this one then." Barring Buyo's infernal jingling, dead air followed his request.

Her father's study was on the far end of the hallway, opposite from hers. The smallest bedroom in their home, it shared a wall with Sota's and the bathroom. Silent, Kagome flicked the lights on when she opened the door and walked in, Sesshomaru close behind with Buyo hot on his silk.

Sparsely furnished, the room housed a desk, a digital clock that glowed 10:34 P.M., a dresser that supported a 32'' magic window, and along the longest stretch of wall, a metal framed futon sofa.

Sesshomaru gave the space a half-hearted once-over and returned his attention to the nervy girl. Needing to move lest she crack, Kagome beat back the impending tension busying herself with making the futon. "I'm waiting." He reminded, and trying in earnest to ignore her unwelcomed cat at his feet. "Boyfriend - what does it mean?"

Kagome stopped her battle with the fitted sheet. Her shoulders sagged as she turned around, relieved and wound tight all at once since his eyes didn't suffer from their usual wanderlust. "It means you're… that would make us..."

 _Oh._

Sesshomaru had an inkling. Her demure behavior and spiking scent gave his suspicion merit. He rose a haughty brow as Kagome struggled with her words like their native tongue were more foe than friend.

"Out with it, Miko."

She drew in a deep breath and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "It implies that we are mates." She said, restarting her bout with the sheet. "So don't say that because people will get the wrong idea. You saw how my family reacted. Plus, I'm sure my grandpa would keel over and die if he heard you making claims on me."

"I see…" His hunch was correct. Kagome and Inuyasha were no more and he'd sustain little guilt advancing. In truth, it was never any consequence for him. If his brother had any objections - and Sesshomaru deducted that he would - he'd do him the honor of a proper dogfight, one all growls and claws and without the aid of their katanas. _Personal._ Sesshomaru would avoid slaying Inuyasha, however. Fearing a timeline too dark and wicked, he suspected Kagome harbored lingering affection for his brother.

But as he pictured sinking his talons into the hanyou's neck, a strange, new emotion hollowed wide in his chest.

Kagome's rejection was swift, as if automatic, and he was not used to blanant disallowance. In the world of Inuyoukai Sesshomaru's lessors experienced denial, not his grace - not counting that one time when he was two-hundred fifty-four and had bidded to a high ranking female three-hundred years his senior. She left him stunned when she sashayed away, laughing as she said, _"Heir or not, you're two centuries too young for my tastes._ "

A long forgotten slight, of course.

Still, that emotion evaded him - the bizarre feeling which settled awkwardly between covetous hurt. His conscience told him he was an idiot, and that sheltering even a sliver of butthurt was a gigantic leap from just wanting to raid her womb.

He agreed.

After all, he didn't wish for Kagome to be his mate. Until now, the sentiment never bleeped on his radar. Further, she handled his pelt countless times and he hadn't noticed any telltale tremors...

And he reiterated that alleged fact as fervor clawed up his throat and used his mouth as a proxy.

" _Real_ mates are linked by their souls and not by empty titles."

"Yeah, that's what people believe too, figuratively speaking, of course, but like I said, boyfriend - girlfriend too implies that."

 _Implies? What legendary ignorance._

Nearly half a decade tramping about with youkai and she hadn't the slightest idea that her relationship was illegitimate. And what was the point? Sesshomaru wondered. Four years passed like a day for full-fledged demons, half-breeds too, but not for humans.

 _What a waste of time._

"It is purely symbolic for ningen, but for youkai our souls must join with another to be recognized as true mates. And one does not _declare_ it, for the soul determines that… in a most unique fashion."

 _O...kay,_ she thought slipping a case over a pillow. "I don't know - because I may be wrong here, but it sounds like you're trying to play down the relationship I had with Inuyasha."

Kagome turned around when he seemed to misplace his words. She crossed her arms and jut out her hip to one side. "What are you getting at?"

Coyness was no kin to Sesshomaru. He painted - and _panted_ \- with a wide tongue in his youth, so there were many. And throughout his centuries he had also learned that some females were rabbity while others were the definition of bold.

Though... he was wary of the audacious - glory to his incestous queen mother, but he was certain if he let Kagome set the pace there'd be no action; little accomplished as a result.

Time to test the waters.

Abandoning discretion, he dared to ask, "In what ways were you intimate with my brother?"

Kagome's jaw slacked as his intrusive inquiry hit her like icy water. " _Excuse me?_ " Wide, incredulous eyes watched him remove his blade and mosey over to the desk where he laid it to rest. "What - _why_ do you want to know?"

With that reaction, Sesshomaru carefully considered his next statement. He wanted to say _"a lot can happen between petting and stopping short of spreading wide,"_ but he resolved to, "Four years is a long time to be an active participant in a farce, or should I say… _inactive_."

Kagome could hardly credit what he said. "I don't think that's _any_ of your business. What's wrong with you? And why are you asking me a personal question like that?"

"I need a reference." She appeared visibly confused. He sighed. "To better gauge what you will be comfortable with."

Kagome's heart skittered; anticipation spread through her. "I don't - I can't..."

" _Focus_ ," he said, "answer my question."

" _Oh my God, Sesshomaru..._ " She whined low, not knowing how close he was to telling her to say his name again. "This is weird, too weird... Just thinking about telling you what we did makes my face itch."

"Then do this one better." Sesshomaru suggested stalking over, his glare devouring her as if she were a snack. Kagome's arms fell at her sides when he loomed, hesitant to meet his eyes, but she did and swallowed nervously and knew he had noticed.

" _I want to know.._." His voice rolled in a deep, silvery bass, a kind she never heard - never felt until now.

Her blood roared hot.

"Kagome," the demon very well purred, "tell me what happened in the shrine last night." He watched her shudder to her name, smelled her scent hitch and spike, writhe in worry and fuss -

Her tongue parted her lips, and he followed the gesture; something subtle and hard to discern fixed in his expression, and he slid his tongue along his bottom lip, and gave her a glimpse of white that promised - _threatened_ to bite hard and deep. Inuyasha's seemed little more than milk teeth compared to his. But oddly, she harbored no fear. Her instincts told her to trust that his were disciplined - that his wouldn't cut into her flesh with zealous fervor.

Her inner voice was mistaken. He'd love to bite her.

Sesshomaru intended to hound her until she squirmed - until she submitted under the burden of her lie. And the demon had suspicions. He had an idea that she made a proper mount of his lap, where her scent was strongest, but he wanted to hear her speak those filthy words - wanted to coach and touch her through her torment -

"Everything…" Her breaths shallowed, his invasive stare rendering her words to creaks. Her eyes fled to the digital clock. "All - that happened… I told you."

There was a rustle of silk as his claws took her chin and inclined her head.

"Look me in the eye when you lie to me." The heat in his gaze vowed to burn her alive. "This lie will ruin you." _As I will._

As if she heard his dark muse, longing whispered to her soul, her knees turned to water.

Sesshomaru could choke on the scent of her arousal. This was dangerous. An alarm blared in his mind, telling him he was pushing her too far, but he ignored it and chose to lean in -

And for a moment, they shared the same breath, the same pulse, filled and blurred each other's vision; marble and stripes for her, cream and dark lashes for him. And she didn't notice his claws left her face until they pricked the small of her back.

"W-what are you doing?" She gusted warm against his lips.

Want blindsided him, and Sesshomaru half realized what he was about to do as he leaned away.

"Touching you." He breathed back, and it was remarkable how level he sounded.

"You can't… you're not supposed to."

His chuckle startled her. Kagome felt it percolate through her chest. "Before..." he trailed off, speaking was a task in its own, "when we had an agreement..."

That barely said, and with care, Sesshomaru started to explore.

Kagome's heart nearly stopped, and she couldn't catch her breath - he stole each gasp with every pass of his hands. Sesshomaru began at her shoulders, taking a detour under the junction of her arms. There his claws inched lower, around her torso while his thumb claws grazed the side of her breasts.

It took everything he had to not cup the delicious weight of her.

"Tell me," he implored, his voice strained as his claws crowded at her waist.

Kagome couldn't even shut her mouth. Her confession should've came easy, but she refused, in spite of her ache for him, in spite of the desire which radiated between them.

"Sesshomaru, I -"

It was when his hard body pressed into hers did he push her over the edge.

In his head he cursed soft and obscene, because before he could go any further she was out the door and power walking down the hall. He didn't move until he heard her door slam.

But Sesshomaru wasn't too sore over it - just a little miffed.

 _I should have kissed her._

He moved to shut his own door.

A moment later, it opened again. In his grasp was Buyo, held by his scuff as he set the cat in the hallway.

 **A bit short, forgive me. This chapter was stretched out from a series of notes I've been itching to use for like a year. I suppose there was a sliver of plot progression in this... quaking furs or something or the other...**

 **Anyway, chapter 28 is definitely the darkest thing I've ever written so far and it's giving me some trouble, might be a while. Kind of makes me itch editing the draft though.**

 **In short, the dragons are coming…**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	28. The Distance Between Our Bodies

**Heads up, incoming character development… among other things. This chapter might be my personal favorite.**

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

Sesshomaru closed the study's door with a click. In the midnight hour the house had gone completely quiet, like the walls and floors themselves were holding a breath. In the dark he stalked down the hall, the silence deepening with each step.

Two days had passed since he groped Kagome. She didn't avoid him, but she seemed more nervous than her usual self, tense and on the edge of her nerves at all times. It formed some interesting interactions between them. Like when she explained how the bathroom worked. Her eyes were everywhere but on him, her hands trembled, and when he moved close she flinched as if she could feel his hunger skittering against her skin. Noting the effect he had on her, Sesshomaru reeled his taunts and kept his claws to himself.

Kagome sure was a jittery little thing, all fidgets and panic - the worse Sesshomaru had seen, but he was confident her wall could be knocked down with well placed petting. But how to go about it? Raw audacity wasn't the best approach, at least not yet, and that was a problem seeing that Kagome couldn't function around her own sensuality.

Waiting was… _fine_ , he guessed. Humans are weird. It's been two weeks, what the hell was she waiting for? Sesshomaru wanted her within the first three days. Maybe she was afraid of him, understandable, but he wouldn't bite her _that_ hard. Holding in all that _heat_ can't be good for the body. Sesshomaru believed this and was on the brink of relieving the pressure his damn self.

In the meantime, he was left to his own devices.

He was bored restricted to the confines of her house, in particular at night. Sesshomaru didn't eavesdrop as it was beneath him, but earlier he did overhear Kagome talking with her mother about venturing out into the city. The problem was his clothing. Kagome relayed her concerns and told him he'd attract unwanted attention if he wandered out into the city donned in his current garb, but what was he supposed to do for then?

Sesshomaru decided on creeping to entertain himself. A desire that was less of a conscious decision and more of an innate need.

And as he crept he memorized which floorboards to avoid like it were a game. He could levitate but where's the sport in that?

His game started with difficulties. The demon's bulk put him at a disadvantage and his silk whispered in spite of his careful effort. It was harder than it used to be. Back when he was as tall and not as heavy he was _the night_ , on par with females - whose light bodies proved them superior in the art of sneak, but then again, he never slunk around in a human's home before. Ultimately, and after some choice padding, he learned the beat that let him predate without a sound.

 _Two paces to the far right - closest to the wall -_

 _one pace to the left - three from there..._

The silent route to Kagome's room.

At her door, Sesshomaru struggled with the urge to go in and watch her sleep. On second thought… _that_ might give her the creeps. It's been days since she last called him that, and he'd rather not give her fuel for his pyre. But that damnable boredom. Sesshomaru would settle for teaching the girl how to move as a shadow did, anything but standing behind what sheltered her from him.

 _Hn…_

That _suspiciously_ sounded like play, perish the thought. Those years were well behind him, so where did that sudden desire come from?

 _This is stupid._

Better he let her sleep undisturbed.

He drifted down the stairs.

 _First two - far left -_

 _skip the third - it creaks…_

Sesshomaru, obscurity manifested, stepped over the sleeping cat, not bothering to conceal his scent knowing felines are visual oriented creatures.

Prowling into the living room, the demon stood deathly still in the middle of it as he stared into space and indulged in a rude scratch along his groin. His satisfied sigh was but a murmur in the quiet, and after slipping in and out of his mind, he moseyed to the kitchen to poke around.

There he opened and closed the frig, and, opened it again, mildly amused with the light. Done with that, he shut it just as a lever outside the door caught his attention.

Push it?

Ice fell to the floor, startling the demon and -

He looked to the heavens and groaned, _No._

Jingling.

Buyo trotted in and jumped on the table - where they mirrored an eerie glance; the cat's shining green, the dog's giving off a yellow-colored cast. The cat was content with watching, so Sesshomaru accepted his company and focused on the cabinets, rummaging through and poking the odd package when he felt like it. It was when he happened upon a box of Krispy Kreme donuts did he partake. One by one he polished off the sugary treats and put the empty box back where he found it.

There was movement upstairs.

 _Kagome._

If he had a tail he'd wag it.

He left the kitchen, licking glaze from his fingers while quiet enough to not disturb Buyo - who had already fell asleep again. Climbing the stairs he was just as silent, making it half way up just as Kagome opened her door.

Sesshomaru would have made his presence known if not for Kagome's clothing.

She padded out her room wearing a cami pajama set, the top hanging loose off her bare shoulders as it teased a glimpse of her navel. He didn't believe it were possible before, but sure enough her bottoms rode _far_ shorter than her old high school uniform, leaving little to his perverse imagination.

He should say something, let her know he was there. The creep factor hadn't escape him, but this was his guilty pleasure and Sesshomaru was a bit of a degenerate. He studied her movements as if she were prey. There was thrill in watching her while she was sleepily unaware - while she yawned and pulled her shorts down from where they had bunched between her thighs.

To be fair, Kagome's brain had a good excuse for its lethargy.

 _Something here - something ain't right._ It was probably nothing, and Kagome told herself she was too old to be wary of the dark as she strained into the thick of it; down the stairwell where a pair of vertical slits hung still -

 _Ooh shit -_

Activity.

Mistakes were made. Already it seemed domestic living inhibited Sesshomaru's cunning. Had he not folded in his eyes to slivers, reducing what gleam they gave, Kagome would've looked right past him.

Her stomach plunged. His disembodied leer made her jump something fierce. Kagome squeezed out his name in between shallowed breaths. " _Sesshomaru_?! What the f - what are you doing?"

"... prowling."

It was staggering how trifling he sounded.

"Of course you are." Kagome grumbled. "Could you _not_ though?" She rubbed her eyes. "I swear… everytime I turn around we're in the dark and you're - don't do that!"

One blink and he was standing in front of her.

"Before you, Miko, this one was fairly active at night. So, forgive me for frightening you, that was not my intent."

"Just move before I pee on myself."

It was true, his intention hadn't been to scare her.

 _Mercy me._

That ass was exquisite.

Good thing they kept their voices low. If any others opened their doors they might ask why he stood there with a pained expression on his face.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Kagome laid in bed, her mind buzzing. An hour had passed since her fright in the hall and still sleep evaded her. In its place was a certain creep. She had questions for Sesshomaru. He said something about needing a reference the other day, but one can only be so nosy.

She turned over on her stomach.

No matter how she chose to tackle his wondering the answer would be uncomfortable. Although... telling him what they did or didn't do would be easier than revealing her lie. But if he kept pressuring her about the shrine she was sure to burst a blood vessel.

Kagome could give him answers to the former at least. She threw her covers off, climbed out of bed, and tiptoed down the hall. Frozen at his door, her knuckles hovered. She wasn't ready for this. Ready for what? Her scoff was a silent one.

 _Stop siking_ _yourself out._

Kagome tried to be stealthy, but Sesshomaru was wise to her laughable effort. He heard her bed creak, her door groan open, her tender steps -

His breath caught in his throat, her presence interrupting his helpless winding around what ached for release. It nearly broke his heart. He was close, had _just_ picked up pace too, but Kagome's stalling offered some consolation at least. She gave him time to get his thoughts together and will his erection away.

But his mind wouldn't turn off that easily. Instead, it ran lewd and wild with possibilities. What did she _want_ at this hour? To counter the sleaze commanding his thoughts, he sat up on the futon and tried to remember the names of his kingdom's most trusted allies.

It didn't work.

War agreements?

' _In the event of attack the Western Kingdom will send two-hundred dogs, the sister Kingdom twenty-five. In kind you will send -'_

What was the rest?

To hell with it, that didn't work either.

Sesshomaru digressed to the century annual dinner. Boring stuff, peacekeeping with spirit bears. He imagined armor-clad dogs and bears sitting at a long table, himself in the middle, the great Kumashiri to his left, a naked Kagome to his right -

 _Fuck._

Debauchery prevailed.

He saw himself spring out his seat, one hand holding Kagome by the nape, the other sweeping wide, hurling china onto the floor. _"Pardon me, but I've just got to..."_ he said to Kumashiri _,_ bending the girl over the table, _"my wards will bring more sake."_ Then, in front of his distinguished fellowship, he snatched Kagome's arms behind her back and proceeded to fuck her raw.

What better way to tarnish a sixteen-thousand year old alliance?

 _Why are you like this?_ Sesshomaru came very close to loathing himself. He was no exhibitionist, but the filthy, nonsensical smut playing in his head left him on the verge of panting. He sat on the edge of his seat holding his face, staring at the door through his claws and entertained finishing what he started. Sesshomaru could _sneak_ one out. He'd only need, at most, one or two minutes.

Fortunately, rationality triumphed. He might fail to hold his moan, and he really didn't want Kagome to know he was beating off in her father's study.

The ghastly image of Jaken's ugly mug separated him from his libido, and since Kagome had yet to do anything he asked, "Do you intend to stand outside my door all night?"

 _Right… demon senses._ "No," Kagome whispered, "may I come in? I want to talk to you."

"You may." She entered and reached for the light switch. "I'd rather you not," he said, "close the door."

Kagome's eyes were somewhat adjusted to the dark, so she could just make out the phantom's outline. He sat still, his eyes glinting at her. "I didn't hear anything at your door. I thought you might've been asleep."

"This room is stifling and far too hot for sleep."

"Ah. Grandpa must've cranked the heat to roast then." The small room was well insulated, so it was no surprise how warm it was compared to the rest of the house. "I'll open the window." She spoke softly, mindful of her brother next door.

Sesshomaru groaned in his head. She hadn't covered herself at all. Only a thin cotton layer screened her breasts from him, and she wanted to talk dressed in that. Alone. In private.

 _Steady…_

His gaze fixed firmly to her as she spread the curtains and fought with the window's latch.

Outside the night was clear and frigid. Moonlight spilled in, casting the room in a lucent silver which set their pale skin aglow; his an unearthly vibrant to hers.

Crisp air gusted in. "There. Now it won't be as stuffy in here." Kagome turned around and saw that there was more of Sesshomaru than she had expected to see.

He sat hunched over off the edge of the futon, his hair skirting down one shoulder, pouring onto the carpet. Clothing was missing. He wore only two ivory underlayers; a thin yakata-type garment which hung loose on his torso; the sleeves rolled up leaving his sculpted arms out on full display. Kagome didn't have a name for the silk that clung to his hips. It stopped just above his knees and -

"Oh," she said, staring shamelessly, "I didn't know you had stripes on your legs too."

Sesshomaru tilt his head. "I have others."

His infliction was an invitation to wonder. Kagome didn't catch his innuendo at first, and like an idiot she panned up and down his form looking for those so called others. It was the taunt in his eyes that helped her figure it out. _It's on your dick, isn't it?_ Not quite. Her hunch was close, but she wouldn't dare ask. Rather, she stood there, her skin prickling under his sharp leer.

Sesshomaru clenched his jaw when he noticed the faint trace of two buds protruding through her shirt. Kagome didn't have to reprimand him, he turned away since his attire was despairingly unforgiving.

And as he studied his feet there was an odd, if not ambiguous need to fidget. The youkai's eyes were _wired,_ his perspective so bright he could see each of the carpet's individual fibers. His pupils had dilated to their utmost brink, taking in more light than necessary. Sesshomaru had no idea it was the effects of 120g of sugar coursing through his blood. He kept it together though, which was impressive considering his inner turmoil. He sucked in even breaths in spite of Kagome's tantalizing tits, in spite of his persistent desire and imminent diabetes -

He connived in light of that, in light of Kagome having run out of words. Their eyes met as he thought to test another appeal. Instead of rushing in claws honed, fangs bared, he'd try some tentative coercing. New territory for him seeing that was not the demon way, but a more delicate approach could help Kagome get accustomed to his intensity. God he hoped. Humans didn't make any fucking sense. Her scent could imply one _glaring_ thing and her words another.

"There is something on your mind." She was taking too long standing there looking adorably stupid. "Speak freely."

 _Alright then._ She took a deep breath. "Inuyasha and I… we… we never did much."

That was... unexpected. The context nearly flew over his head, and he almost popped off the futon to snatch her from where she stood, but Sesshomaru collected himself seeing his chance. He rose to his feet. "I know," he murmured, stalking over. Kagome didn't recoil. A good sign.

"How?" She asked.

"Demon's intuition, now come," he bid, grasping her wrist as if it were an emergency, " _sit with me_."

Her heart drummed a beat. "If you already knew why did you ask?"

"Hn…" Gold captivated her, beckoning and smoldering with the threat of seduction. Seeing this, her thoughts became shrouded in a dreamy fog, her watery legs advancing on their own. Slowly, he walked backwards, his grip firm but gentle as he pulled her along. "I wish to know the specifics."

There was that thrill again; tingling anticipation, shuddering with cold. Sesshomaru held something discreet and insidious in his expression as he sat and brought her down next to him, ensuring that there would be no distance between their bodies tonight. For a moment, they indulged in the feel of each other's skin, the feel of their bodies nestled together; her supple hips and thighs adjacent to his.

Kagome retreated into the tittering depths of her head, praying Sesshomaru wouldn't mention the shrine while he admired every inch of her. He dragged his lecherous gaze down her tight little body, over the mounds he wished to taste, all the way to the junction between her legs where his eyes lingered and dimmed to an explicit, imaginary scene. _That would loosen her up_ , he mused, fantasizing parting her slit with his tongue, sucking and lapping at her clit until her sobbing begged him to stop.

Kagome crossed her arms. "You're having dirty thoughts, aren't you?" She knew the moment their eyes met. It was in his posture, set in his shoulders, the way his eyes drank in her form.

"Miko," he said, his voice a deep and husky rumble, "my thoughts are a hundred times dirtier than what you're imagining." She snapped to his face, her mouth hanging open. He rose a brow. _You did ask, Kagome._

And there it was, his sweltering admission. No longer a _why would he, perhaps he_ -

He wanted her,wanted her to know it too. But the danger of getting lost in the sauce…

" _Sesshomaru_." His name came out riding on a whine, a _please back the hell up and let me process what you just said,_ kind of whine.

"As you were," he digressed, "something about the hanyou."

 _Right… that. "_ We used to be close - kissing, touching, but no more than that. We almost did though. I thought I was ready, well I was… but he… on that night -" Kagome's words cut to the weight of his arm draping over her shoulder, pulling her closer.

 _Ohh, he's_ so _smooth,_ she thought, her face pressed to his hard chest, his form dwarfing hers; the disparity firing a tingling pulse of foreboding pleasure from her heart all the way to her clit.

"Relax… and don't hold back." Kagome heard him say. He turned to look down at her, but she moved and his nose ended up in her hair. His claws, stroking her waist now, inspired a shiver, which he felt and squeezed there as if to stop it.

"There was fumbling and uncomfortable petting - and the kiss..." She listened to his heart beat faster. "He kissed me with so much _force,_ and it was hard to breathe, and he didn't stop when I said to, like he couldn't control himself. It wasn't just awkward, there was pain too. My mouth was on fire, I could feel his… they had cut so deep, and the blood, there was so much blood."

"Am I to understand my brother _bit_ your mouth?" Sesshomaru brought his hand to her hair and began to comb through most lovingly. Kagome melted, her scent mild and pleasant and jitter free.

"Yes." She whispered, stretching an arm over his stomach. Pleased with this, and for her comfort, Sesshomaru slid down the futon a bit, smirking in secret when her fingers found the small of his waist, gripping tight as she curled even closer.

He appreciated her telling him that. That's why he wanted a reference _,_ a _what to do and what not to do_ , guide, so to speak. There was also second hand embarrassment. _Not the face, little brother_. He nicked his first a few times, but deep, bleeding wounds? To that he could only cringe. No wonder she was so cautious.

But he discovered some contradictions as Kagome prattled on, revealing interesting details about herself. He weighed over choice key words she used to describe Inuyasha, words like _hesitant_ and _anxious_. _Hmm._ Sesshomaru came to a cynical conclusion while she defended the hanyou's honor, lionizing his deficiencies despite her true cravings. It wasn't something she admitted outright, he made an educated guess. Kagome seemed desperate to evade a glaring, uncomfortable truth, and he wondered why that was. There was no shame in how she felt, to him it was simply a fact of life. Most females would be turned off by a fumbling lover.

For a moment he thought of her as unstable, not rooted to reality. It sounded like she wanted an unicorn, one who was confident, domineering, sensitive, sweet - could shoot lasers out his ass - _blah blah blah_.

Human nonsense.

If that was the case she was in for a rude awakening. Those mystical bastards didn't exist in either society.

 _So naive…_

Sesshomaru shifted to a most unbecoming impulse. To him it was hilarious, and he almost let it out when she said:

"-but he's a good looking guy, and sweet… in his own way, of course. I just hope we can still be friends in spite of everything."

The demon's ministrations came to a halt, and when he huffed Kagome sat up only to be greeted with his sore glare. "Oh! That's not to say _you're_ not good looking. You're actually very…" She blushed and returned her cheek to his chest, her hand busying itself with a lock of _his_ hair. "Well, I'm sure you know."

"Interesting," he crooned, his claws picking up where they left off, pulling a shudder from her. "This one has been called many things by those in your holy trade. Evil, wretched beast, demon spawn - but never attractive. Could it be you are defective, miko?"

"I prefer opened minded. And are you saying no human has ever saw you and said, 'Oh, he's hot?' I find that hard to believe. I mean… someone like you, compliments probably roll off your back."

"Indeed. From numerous Inuyoukai, other demons too, but never a human. That makes you strange. "

"Numerous," she mumbled, "as in demonesses?"

"Yes."

Kagome squirmed. "How many?" She wondered out loud, the words spilling out her mouth before she could stop it. Then again, she shared personal stuff herself, so maybe her question wasn't entirely inappropriate. He was slow to answer. She glanced at him and he seemed to be thinking, _hard,_ like he struggled with a complex equation.

She cleared her throat. This was awkward.

And it was. Sesshomaru never had someone ask that before. He lost count somewhere in his third century anyway.

" _Many_." He finally answered.

 _A little unsettling, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised._ "Ever love any of them?" Waiting for his reply, she felt his chest lurch, then came a most interesting sound - his laughter. It was the first she'd heard it, and of course it was cynical and cold, but oh so conflicting. His fanged smile left her momentarily starstruck. "What's so funny?'

"Why would I ever love? I have no use for it."

Now she pulled away from him, practically snatching his claws from her scalp. Going by the look on her face Sesshomaru realized he may have said the wrong thing.

"How can you say that? Have you really never loved _anyone_? Those poor demonesses… Are you saying romance means nothing to them too?"

"I believe you are inferring." He wanted her on his body again, but this needed to be said. "Do not assume your human sentimentalities on my kind. You should know inu bitches do not want _romance_ , they want - _hn..._ "

Silence settled around them as Sesshomaru contended with difficult emotions. All kinds of them.

And though he wouldn't tell, he was pained over the loss of her warmth. It was startling how the girl influenced more than lust from him, myriads of feelings he didn't wish to hold - didn't know what to do with as he kept a shaky grip on the door which housed them.

Kagome grew impatient. "Well," she harassed, "what do they want?"

He looked to the magic window on the dresser, tension coiling along his profile. "What they wanted - they got it from this one."

"And that's all you gave them."

"They were warned not to get attached."

 _He might need a therapist,_ she thought, _and not just one, a whole team._

"But that's not normal. To never have loved, to never have bonded with anyone - _laughing_ at it…" Kagome put more distance between them and he hated it with every ounce of his youki. "People, and demons, I assume, can't be this way without a reason. And you being a male isn't an excuse for that kind of promiscuity."

Alien was the guilt and shame corroding his insides, so much that he held a deep frown when he turned back to her.

"Who did it? Who hurt you?"

"This one cannot be _hurt_. I have nothing to maim." There was something about the way he said _nothing..._ When a dog lies their scent takes on a sharp flavor, but Kagome didn't need an enhanced nose to detect this lie.

"It was your mother, wasn't it?" Not since their time spent at Ishiyaya's did Kagome see that expression.

Repressed trauma played behind his glassy stare, and as he sighed it had no visual effect on the muscles bunched tight in his shoulders. "Never mind it." He warned.

"I won't."

" _This_ is the hill you wish to die on?"

Kagome gave him a moment, growing more upset by the second as she dwelled on something that had left a sour taste. "Tell me this then, am I just another one of your _conquests_? You plan on adding me to your _'many'_ the same way too?"

"No." His voice turned quiet and gentle all of a sudden. "It's not like that. You will stay… "

Kagome's expression softened when he looked away again. This time at the door, as if contemplating his escape. On its own accord, a dainty hand advanced to his face and guided his eyes back to hers. Something unreadable shone in them. "What's it like then?"

He bit out a strained and aggravated growl. "Why fix your mouth to ask me this? You know more of this one - and you speak to me with such contempt - nothing this one has - nothing I have said warrants… when all of them - my generals, my wards - they… but you -

Kagome was in awe of his rambling. Sesshomaru's words had caught and waned in conversations past, but never had she seen this. His syntax sounded off, far from its usual devil-may-care filter, and he couldn't decide on a tense, simultaneously slipping in and out of all three. He was trying so hard, because like his mother, he too tended to ramble when upset. And the prince knew this, loathed it, went to great lengths to avoid it.

Kagome gave a sad, little smile. What he danced around, what he fought to express was, in short, _I'm here, aren't I?_

For some time after he grew still. Kagome was content to give him another moment to collect himself. "I am _weary_... I wander to leave it behind."

"What did you leave behind?" Kagome said softly, her voice comforting.

"... nothing… many."

"Will you tell me one day?"

He opened his mouth to tell her _no, I have told no one,_ but that look in her eyes - so desperate to understand and glinting with a breed of want he never cared to notice before her... Quietly, and in a whisper he would cave. "If only to stop your infernal pry -"

The space between them cramped.

Kagome pulled Sesshomaru into a deep embrace, twined her arms around his neck, under a cool, silver cascade. He was caught off guard; his claws at either side until she squeezed, urging him to reciprocate. Steel coiled around her, forced her body in deep - _deeper,_ where she melted, chest to chest, as they shared the same hitching rise and fall.

She sucked in a breath, her back arching to the threatening sensation of claws dragging down, to the feel of the rolling rumble against her breasts. Her hands slid to his shoulders, catching in his mane, sifting through, fanning out the silky threads as she pushed off. His hooded gaze seared her, and a few heavy breaths later he began to thread through her hair; sweeping it from her face, each pass more passionate than the stroke before it. Something inside her fluttered to the way he wet his lips, something edgy and wild rather than guarded and numb.

Then, leaning in, Sesshomaru rasped, _growled,_ "Do that again and I'll put you on your back."

"Okay." She said, mindlessly, because he hadn't pulled away. He lingered near, air arresting in his lungs just as hers did. Sesshomaru stared at her mouth, sucking in a breath through his fangs as she moistened her lips.

He leaned in, just a little; he could get no closer, already there gusting hot and warm -

"Kagome." His lips caught at hers, dragged at hers with each word, "Don't move." Then, his open mouth pressed into hers; petal soft and hot, eagar and insatiable, he held her face to his, angled her the way he wanted and - _wait, wait._

He stopped, mindful of the lessons he just learned, but Kagome groaned at the loss of him. " _Why'd you_ -"

Sounds like consent.

He stole her words slipping inside- shuddering to her taste, to her tongue flicking nervously on his lips, until she finally dipped in for a taste of her own. He growled in her mouth, the sound inhuman, perilous and needful; the vibration sending a thrill so wicked she had to break away for air. He would let her breathe… for a price. Once again, his claws found their way into her hair, pivoting her head back and exposing her delicate neck. Testing her trust, he trailed down with his lips and fangs; scraped her here, bit her there - each time she flinched, and each time his soft, wet tongue begged her forgiveness.

"Sesshomaru -" _Oh my God, that…it's - there's no way..._

It gave her pause when she saw it - his thick length straining the front of his silk. To his name he sighed against her neck - where his lips had burned, where the scent of his masculine edge lingered. It was intoxicating, his mixed with hers.

"Not like this." She said.

"...okay." Sesshomaru backed off and leaned into the futon. He couldn't describe how he felt about sitting there, his cock so hard it hurt, Kagome staring at him, staring at _it._

"Before that happens I think we should get to know each other more first."

 _I should say it…_ "You can get to know me while I'm inside of y -"

Her hand flew to his filthy mouth, smothering. "Will you wait for me?" She grit, trying her best to avoid looking at his groin.

"...I will."

"Are you... okay? You sound like you're in pain."

"I'm fine. Frustrated, but fine."

 **Well, this chapter wasn't all that dark. I swear the dragons are coming, I'm just trying to work around the whole "evil for the sake of being evil" trope. Next chapter for sure!**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	29. Bring To A Rolling Boil

**The first scene in this chapter is disturbing.**

 **The second scene is mercy fluff.**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"Well, shit." Said Inuyasha as a dozen scaly bastards came tumbling down the mountainside. Crashing and breaking, hissing and screaming - dying. Victims of his wind scar. "That was easy."

"Inu...yasha," Miroku coughed behind his borrowed poison mask, "coming in fast -"

Inuyasha breathed around the suffocating stench of sulfur and focused ahead on the brimstone jags littered with busted carcasses.

A ghastly aura washed over them, jaki so oppressive all gripped their weapons for emotional support.

Inuyasha saw it first - three figures slicing through the wind like a blade.

It arrived first in a raging blaze, as if the earth split open and released the fires of hell. It appeared human. Pretty, like a prince with long, blonde hair, but all knew better. Next to him two dragons made landing, their leathery wings folding neatly under their arms. They favored brutes with their heavy limbs and skulls, more formidable than the wyrms blasted minutes before.

Something _blinked_ when it shouldn't have.

" _Inuyasha…_ "

"Yeah," he muttered to Sango, "that's some weird shit right there."

Tessaiga trembled in Inuyasha's grasp. It was not the sword but its wielder shaking with anticipation and fear.

The humanoid, more beautiful than any man had a right to be, wore a frown seeing the bodies of his slain comrades. He turned to their red-clad killer as a foul breeze rippled his kimono and hair. " _Oh, no._ " He mumbled, his piercing blue eyes regarding the murder weapon with _queenly_ disdain.

"What will we do with this, Ryukasai-sama?" Hissed one crony.

"Declare war, I suppose." Was his Lord's airy reply. He stared down his nose at Inuyasha - who seemed to shudder -

Because from Ryukasai's shoulders it _too_ locked eyes with his gold.

Inuyasha's blood congealed. What he saw was terrible enough to make his worst nightmares look like sweet dreams; what he saw conspired to destroy his confidence - and sanity - with just a glance.

Serpent-like with brilliant, golden scales, a _dragon_ writhed on Ryukasai's shoulders. It adorned his neck the same way another species of Daiyoukai carried his fur, but as great as Sesshomaru as was, Inuyasha knew his brother didn't have the capability to manifest his youki into a _sentient_ being.

 _Oh, man. This is… this could be bad,_ Inuyasha fret, his ears drooping a fraction.

"Thank you for coming all this way, curdog. So kind of you. Very kind." Ryukasai's voice was best described as a feathery timbre. "But I have some grievances. You see, I have killed no dogs," he paused to scan the small lot. "...or humans, and yet here we are standing amongst my dead."

Inuyasha would keep his stubborn nerve. Two furry appendages snapped forward with Tessaiga. "We sure are. And you're next, ya bastard."

"Monstrous. I am _no_ bastard."

"Keh! For all the noise you're causin' up here - yeah you are," Inuyasha pointed a claw, "a dragon bastard, that's you."

"That's funny! From what I've heard it is you who is the bastard. _Inuyasha the cur_ ," Ryukasai sneered, "the result of your father's wandering pecker."

That broke up Ryukasai's entourage. Their laughter was an unsettling cacophony of clicks and hiss.

Inuyasha suppressed a growl. He should be used to it by now, but that smart. "Oi. Earlier you said something about war. You want war? I'll kill ya myself."

Ryukasai waved a gesture and his escorts sprang offside to watch from a high vantage point.

"I would love to see that, _really I would_." Ryukasai's stare began to percolate behind a cyan screen, animating the living ornament on his shoulders. Slithering around his torso, the wyrm's whiskered muzzle hovered over his crown, eyes glowing.

Ryukasai snapped his fingers and ignited an ember so hot it distorted his hand.

 _Here we go._

"You guys get back," Inuyasha warned his friends, "this might get ugly."

"Bring your ruckus, curdog," Ryukasai crooned in a clotted, chuckling voice, "and do take your time dying. Shoutings of agony are like vespers to me."

"Kaze no kizu!" As if Inuyasha needed invitation.

High in the crags there were low whistles of reverence as the technique tore across the earth in route to Ryukasai - who made no attempt to evade as the blast engulfed him.

"Got him!" Miroku shouted flying high with Sango on Kirara's back.

"Cocky bastard," said Inuyasha, "there's no way he'd survive a direct hit from my -"

A massive inferno roared, churning - raging higher and higher until it completely consumed the wind scar. The flames cleared, revealing a grinning Ryukasai without a scratch on him.

"Shit!" Inuyasha narrowly avoided a secession of fireballs. He dodged another round, his blade prepped to counter strike when he was hit square in his chest.

"Inuyasha!"

The impact sent him flying, swearing all the way into a jagged edge that would've snapped those less hardy in half. Quick to his feet, Inuyasha spat out blood and ran back into hell's kitchen.

"Why don't you burn?" Ryukasai was genuinely surprised.

"Don't worry about it, fairy," Inuyasha snarled, his katana transforming into a starry night, "I'm ending this now." With both claws gripping his legendary fang, Inuyasha roared with his chest:

" **Meido Zangetsuha!** "

Ryukasai narrowed at the parade of crescent-shaped portals coming his way. It was in his best interest to evade this attack, and none, not even his goons saw him move. One second he was there, the next he was in the air launching another fireball.

Inuyasha tried to dodge -

" _Uh-uh_ ," Ryukasai _tuned, "_ immolate _."_

Thunder clapped. A white flash.

The orb detonated and blitz Inuyasha fifty yards back. He landed with a thud, dropping Tessaiga, his hands flying to the hot, sticky wet coating his face. The world murmured over the ringing in his skull, over the frantic voices calling his name, over Ryukasai's grandiloquent laughter, the clicking dragons -

He laid stunned for a tick, but it felt like he'd been away for a month. Despite his hands no longer holding his face, still, the world seemed to hide, and Inuyasha was sure he had blinked, was sure the sun had been high in the sky -

A harrowing soundtrack, pure nightmare fuel. Inuyasha's screams would forever torment Miroku and Sango. There was carnage where eyes should be, gore instead of an ear -

Horror paralyzed the monk and the slayer.

Gaping, they could only watch his distressing hysterics. Inuyasha, helplessly blind now, hyperventilated as his fingers trailed down destruction. He found burnt strands, a hairy flap, dipped a claw in something spongy behind his skin. Only crushed sockets, one with a loose eye in it, the other missing.

 _Ruined._

He screamed again.

A moment robbed him of all which made him Inuyoukai, but somehow gameness remained. Fumbling for his birthright, he cursed Ryukasai, enraged, frustrated, until his expletives were little more than heart-rending fits of despair. _Ruined._

"Inuyasha, hold on we're coming -"

"'Fuckin' stay back!" Sango stopped Kirara just as that cruel laughter started again. Inuyasha had yelled to his left... his comrades soared to his right.

"You don't get to tell me that!" She yelled.

"We'd walk through fire with you." Miroku declared.

Such dependable friends. Inuyasha believed him with every fibre of his being, but he didn't want to be followed into hell. He stilled and hung his head, his fringe covering the raw cavity, part of him folding open, oozing. Ryukasai was getting closer, death was a possibility.

But for them, his beloved, death just wouldn't do.

"Listen to me and listen good." Spirits plummeted. His voice was low and grave. "Get my brother. You find that bastard and you tell him there's a world of fuck coming."

Cold panic thundered in Sango's chest. "We will, all of us."

"Yes. _All_. You can't honestly expect us to leav -"

"Find him!" Inuyasha bleat, his voice cracking, still searching for his blade. "Just… _find him."_

"We're not leaving you." Someone said. Inuyasha couldn't tell.

Finally, he grazed Tessaiga's furry hilt and snatched it up. He was tired now, cold in spite of his life spilling down his neck. "The least a cripple can do is hope to be his friend's alibi."

"Inuyasha." Sango pled, her throat thickening watching him stand on unsteady legs.

"Sesshomaru's hard to track down… go west."

"Please reconsider." Begged the monk.

"Until you find the dogs..." His voice hollowed feeling Ryukasai getting closer. "And when you see Kagome tell her… tell her I love her and I'll see her when she gets there."

"Th-ere?" There was a knot in Miroku's throat. Inuyasha was the epitome of selfless. The sharp end of Tessaiga dragged as he staggered in the direction of Ryukasai's voice.

"But tell her to take her time. No rush."

Sango began to cry.

"Tell her for me, 'kay?"

"I'll tell -"

"Now I understand," Ryukasai interjected, "Your clothing, it's made of fire rat, isn't it?"

"For your lives, please, just fucking leave." Inuyasha could only imagine what he looked like. They didn't need to see this.

With leaden hearts, Miroku and Sango flew away, heading west in route to the Kingdom of Dogs.

"How commendable of you, hanyou." Ryukasai didn't have to dodge the barrage of diamonds Inuyasha sent. It was a pathetic attempt, he had no hope of hitting his target. "But since I cannot burn you the traditional way…"

 _Fly away, fly away as fast as you can._

"You're gonna regret crossing me, the dogs too." Inuyasha quietly vowed taking a knee. He could taste iron, and he shivered. This was it. Not seeing was a blessing, he was spared from Ryukasai's face.

Kagome's floated in the pitch black. It calmed him. She would remember him as she always had, remember his eyes, that shade of amber she said she loved, velvet ears she loved to stroke even though he hated it.

And as Inuyasha shuffled through his memories, Ryukasai lift his serpent's muzzle with a claw, their eyes gleaming with the same flare.

" _Blood boil."_ He told it.

The Dragon snapped to Inuyasha and coiled around his chest. Tessaiga fell, transforming into its dull state one last time. There was a pulse of youki, and throughout his body there was a terrible heat, his blood rushing and bellowing as it bore a surge of boiling hot from his crown down to his toes. Inuyasha hollered high, frying his voice, tearing his throat to shreds.

"What a savory sound, your suffering." Ryukasai took a step back. There was gargling, and reddish-brown gunk burbled out his mouth, out his sockets, out every orifice.

Shock set in. No more screams, only moaning.

Ryukasai recalled his dragon. "It's fascinating how quickly the tongue can be rendered to a bubbling grease. Look at you, sheer degradation."

Inuyasha convulsed on the ground, choking on his own cooking fluids. Kagome's face disappeared, and he was alone with agony in the dark, the stench of pork, a crackling sound - skin shrunk and spilt, dripping with fat. It was then his nerves died and set him free on his back, arms curling at his sides until stiff at the elbows.

 **OoOoOoOoOoO**

"Can I play with it?"

"... _play_?"

"What's with that look?" Kagome crossed her arms. "You were all in mine last night, so let me play in yours."

Sesshomaru regarded her as he sat down on the edge of her bed. "I will allow this, but you should know I wasn't _playing."_

Kagome didn't care. She hopped on her bed, letting out a happy little squeal as she did. Behind him, she sat up on her knees and slid his fur from his shoulders, pulling his hair off his neck.

With nary a split end in sight, she started at the bottom and worked her way up. To Sesshomaru it felt like foraging. She was everywhere. It wasn't unpleasant, her hands reverently sifting through his hair, but it was amusing.

Clearly, she was delighted to be in there.

"It's just like fresh water." Sesshomaru heard a dreamy sigh and glanced over his shoulder. His hair hung from her arms like she bared the most sacred of silk. He held his questions watching her joggle it around, letting it stream from her fingers and onto her lap. But it was when she gathered it and _sniffed..._

"Careful. That's mighty inu of you."

"You smell like oak after a storm." She said, now in his scalp and making a real mess.

He almost told her she smelled good enough to eat, but the feel of her fingernails was heaven. His eyes rolled back, lids easing shut as she grazed _that spot_.

Kagome had wondered about this, and she could hardly believe it was happening, but indeed, Sesshomaru was a true dog, one who had a penchant for a good _strich_. And since conditions were choice, she explored, trailing over the point of an ear, rounding and scratching behind it.

 _That was definitely a shudder._ She smiled with this new found knowledge. Her hands slid forward, over his forehead, smoothing back silver. Blunt nails dragged, down, down to that erogenous place, making him murmur something soft and breathy.

"What was that?" She asked.

"Do that again."

"You're just like a real dog."

There was a delay. "I am a real -"

" _Now_ _ **who**_ _could've done this?"_

Hands stopped, eyes sprang open. Someone was pissed off downstairs.

"I think that's gramps." Kagome climbed off her bed and opened the door.

" _Look - empty! The whole box!"_

" _I will buy more. "_ Mrs. Higurashi tried to console him.

"What in the world…" Kagome gave Sesshomaru a look.

" _No, that's the line. He's in here breathing for free, using all the hot water, eating all the food - eating all the_ _ **good**_ _donuts - no, no, don't you 'oh, gramps me.' I would love a donut but I can't because all my Krispy Kremes are gone!"_

"You didn't," Kagome giggled high and bright, "you ate my grandpa's secret donuts?"

"What's so secret about the top cupboard?" No remorse whatsoever.

"You ate the entire dozen."

"I did."

She laughed again.

"Seriously, you might want to take it easy on the sugar. Come to think of it we should probably get you a toothbrush while we're out shopping today."

"How long will you be?"

"Oh, not long. We'll be back by this afternoon. And when you're in some normal clothes we can go out and… well, I don't know. We'll figure something out."

" _Kagome_ ," her mother called, " _are you ready_?"

"Just a sec!" She turned to Sesshomaru. "It might be a good idea to stay out of my grandpa's way."

A few minutes later, outside Sesshomaru heard car doors slam shut. And once again he was left to entertain himself. He'd managed. Since he was alone in her room for the first time he decided masking the remains of his brother's scent would be an excellent way to bide his time.

 **A short chapter, but eh, the plot is moving at least. The second scene was added purely for mind bleach. I honestly hated writing what happened to Inuyasha, every keystroke in fact. Anything relating to being burned alive gives me the creeps.**

 **On Ryukasai, yeah he's a real bastard, and finally we know what quivered on his shoulders all those chapters ago. Ishiyaya told Kagome lots of demons carry their youki in similar ways, so… why not a whole ass dragon?**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading. The next chapter will be longer and not as grim.**


	30. Handle With Care

OoOoOoOoO

He didn't like it. Not one bit.

Stretching out a leg and pulling at the seam, Sesshomaru tried to put himself in order, but he just couldn't get right. He didn't care for what Kagome called "skinny jeans." They clung to things and restricted movement.

He froze, first scowling at the floor, then let his gaze drift up. Kagome sat on her bed, seemingly engrossed with her phone. A front. She pried her eyes away at the last second, but Sesshomaru was wise to her leering— and the holes her eyes had left behind.

Kagome loved this style on him. It revealed things, like well-built legs and other endowments. Someone like him would look good in most, but this was a personal taste for her.

The demon gave the Miko his back as he tugged and rearranged. He tried to bear it for her, but in the end, he couldn't endure the crowding. He stopped abruptly and looked over his shoulder.

" _No_ ," he said.

 _Dammit._

"We did buy others." Kagome handed him another pair, and immediately, he began to strip.

… _ugh._ She pressed a hand to her chest.

Why did he turn around to adjust moments before only to deliberately face her now? Not that she was complaining or anything. Actually, she was pleased with a decision she made while shopping earlier. Her mom suggested boxers, but she _insisted_ on boxer briefs. And glory to God she was glad that she did. Blessed was what stood tall and pantless at the foot of her bed.

Kagome averted her gaze seeing the beginnings of a smirk—

She double took when he raised his shirt. Leg by leg, she stayed with him, held fast to every inch— while he zipped, while his claws fumbled with the clasp—

Her eyes lit up. He told her, but never specified _where_.

Magenta contoured his waist beautifully. Struck by wanderlust, Kagome followed the lines as they trailed along a V-shaped path and disappeared below the elastic. She wondered where they stopped, and if they merged beneath the cotton. Oh, to travel through for the answer—

Perhaps he did raise a good point. She could get to know him _during—_ if she didn't pass out first.

Sesshomaru mastered the art of tasteful peacocking centuries ago, but there was something especially delicious about this display. He caught Kagome tripping on the angles of his face many times, but right now she was utterly rapt on his lower half. To that, he swelled. He proved himself an accomplished demon, one deserving of high praise, one who possessed enough appeal to tempt a Miko.

Surely, the Gods raged.

Kagome came up for air when he lowered his shirt.

Good thing she had the insight to buy various fits. It was the regular cut Sesshomaru preferred most of all. Interestingly enough, while he disliked a snug fit below the waist, above it was well received.

In the mirror, the prince surveyed his modern wardrobe.

Simplicity suited him. An ordinary black sweater flattered his frame, the contrast striking against his pale skin. It would suffice in spite of an exposed collarbone and a lack of color, for her _spiking_ scent, if nothing else.

"You… that's..." Talking shouldn't be so hard. Kagome retreated into her head to reorganize her thoughts.

"You needn't say it— it _wafts_ from you." Sesshomaru teased, more than self-confident.

A familiar heat warmed her cheeks as she moved to stand next to him, pulling here, plucking there. Final adjustments, but mostly an excuse to fondle the goods.

"That just leaves one thing. _Hmm_." She crossed her arms. "Can you hide them?"

"... no."

"Hmm," she mumbled again, gears turning, "Go sit on my bed."

Seated, he eyed the hairbrush in her hand.

"I'm going to tuck these." Kagome playfully flicked the tip of his ear, and Sesshomaru _really_ didn't care for that either.

"And my face?"

"You're intimidating," she said, smoothing silver over elfen ears, "people will think you live an alternative lifestyle."

He knew those words, just not how they were arranged. " _You are sure_?"

Perfect and tied low, she pulled his ponytail at the base until he looked at her. "Give 'em a glare, that'll button—"

It happened so fast Kagome couldn't tell her left from her right.

A quick yank had her sitting pretty on his lap. Disoriented, she squirmed, stilling when a deep, audible breath gusted against her nape. Claws pricking at her waist, she turned to hazard a glance. Her breath hitched a little, stomach flipping at the sight— the heat in his eyes was so intense it was exhausting to hold.

Not exactly the glare she had in mind.

"You handle this one so tactlessly," he said, his voice husky but sedated, "try stroking me instead."

 _Stroke._ Kagome fluttered at the suggestion, shifting against him, as if it made it easier to shift her thoughts.

Sesshomaru settled her across his lap, rubbing the arc of her hip through her jeans with his thumb claws. Conscious of her limit, _delicately_ , he would escort her to a new one. All things considered, this was uncharted territory. For the demon, charming a human, for the girl, all of him.

"Where?" She asked daringly, though color left her face when he raised a dark brow. He didn't answer, so, she assumed. Her gaze instantly fell to his lap, inciting a noise that sounded soft and dangerous.

" _What_ are you thinking?" He asked, a curl to his lips.

"... that what you wanted—" Weak at first, her voice regained strength looking to the lamp. "Don't make me say it!"

"Relax." He guided her face back to his, warm fingers stroking her cheek. "Not there, Miko."

How he ached— that hurt to say.

And it didn't slip past Kagome. This was Sesshomaru being _considerate_. His words, though benevolent, traveled through her, imploring. But not there. _Not yet_. However, she would _stroke_ him— the silver above his eyes, and over the ridge of his brow. Moving over his stripes, she was surprised to learn that the texture was different, soft, like velvet.

"... you really are a dog." Sesshomaru shuddered and leaned into her caress. One hand at her back while the other sank into the space between her thighs.

Her heart skipped a beat hearing a rough catch. "Are you afraid of me?"

For a moment, she stopped. His question had a savage edge to it, matching the sudden hardness of his gaze.

"No," she said, resuming as his eyes shut.

"Then put your mouth where your hand is— kiss me there."

"Why there?" He opened his mouth but nothing came. "... Sesshomaru?"

"... just do it."

The Miko pressed her lips where he wanted, unaware of the gesture's significance— or the fact that this demon intended to coach her through his own seduction. He went up like tinder when she dared to taste, seizing a fistful of her shirt as he let a rare groan slip.

"Is that your weak spot?" Kagome didn't need to ask. She saw something fall from him, and when he opened his eyes there was white before gold, as if they returned from the back of his head.

Then, he had her chin, bringing her mouth within his breathing space. "Let's agree to something," he bid, tongue darting out for a taste of his own. The lick was weird and wonderful— inhuman, and it pushed an uncanny tingling throughout her body.

Her throat suddenly ached. "What."

"Touch this one however you like, only if I can explore in kind."

"So you're saying whatever I do you'll do the same?"

"Mm." He pressed his mouth into hers and pulled away before she could react. "So mind your hands… lest I assume consent."

 **OoOoOoO**

A/N: Sorry it's short. Less can be more sometimes. There's a nod to Sesshomaru's past in this chapter. His mother tried it, and it mortified him. But...

Well, anyway. Thanks for reading. I'll try to update by the end of 2018.


	31. lest they hear

**OoOoOoOoO**

A few days later, they laid together under pink bed sheets.

"Nervous?"

"... a little." She buried her face against a warm curve. "You really mean it? You'll take me?"

Heavy with sleep, he shut his eyes and breathed her scent. "I promise. I'll show you... the dogs, and introduce you to them.

… not dressed as you are, however."

"Oh..."

His arm tightened around her. "But you needn't worry. I'll buy you a fine kimono of silk and satin."

"A blue one," she murmured, drifting off.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

And a week later, red eyes shone up at Kagome from the cold ground of the shrine. She asked if he were okay, even though it was her shove that had put him there.

They thought it was safe.

They were wrong.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"How was it?"

"I could have done without the vegetation." Kagome smiled as she collected his plates. Sesshomaru had eaten around every pea and carrot. "Delicious otherwise."

"Want to watch a movie?"

Regarding her from behind the rim of his mug, the demon had a vague understanding of that word. He knew it had something to do with the magic window, though he never gave it more than a passing glance, unsure of what he was looking at anyway. A creature of old, reading was his preferred way to kill time. Because of this, Kagome insisted that learning modern Kana and Kanji was a more practical endeavor than English. He agreed.

"Don't jump for joy or anything."

"I didn't intend to."

"Not even if it's horror?" That snagged him. "Come on," she said, stepping out the kitchen.

Piqued, he followed the girl into a dark and empty living room, gold rapt to the tantalizing sway of her hips.

Not yet midnight, the house was still.

But so keen was Sesshomaru's hearing that not only could he pinpoint where a tiny predator crept upstairs, but the entire family's whereabouts as well. They were where they belonged, in their bedrooms and out of the way.

Even better— a certain someone was sleeping. The one so old he creaked when he walked.

Sesshomaru breathed a sigh of relief.

It was unnerving how Grandpa Higurashi could sense when a demon's tongue desecrated his granddaughter's throat. A legendary cockblocker, Sesshomaru believed he harbored some measure of spiritual power. However senile he seemed, the old man was sharp enough to detect belligerent sexual tension in the heat of the night.

That could explain yet another interruption last night. Gramps must've sensed the moment Kagome shed her demurity so ungodly; her endeavoring down the hard ridges and dips of a muscular torso. She had cut her venture short an inch above his waistband, at the start of a silver patch, and it was so inconsolably heartbreaking Sesshomaru sulked outside on the roof until dawn.

Now, Sesshomaru thought of himself as a patient demon, seasoned and well past the voracious lust he endured in his youth, but if these trespasses continued, he might reintroduce himself to his younger self, and Kagome might wake up with wet that's not hers.

Could he do such a thing? That would be a perverse leap—declaring a most decadent right to the girl.

Fortunately, his pride hadn't been scraped raw yet, but if torn down, she could wake to him stroking himself to completion,

And he'd look her in the eye the entire time too.

Modern Japan was a novel experience, but rather than skip ahead, galavanting around with a Miko, he wanted to wander through the years naturally. Like New York City, it was nice to visit, terrible to live. Loud and weird smelling, a demon essentially had to retreat to the forest to bust a nut. He vowed to fly home the second the well allowed safe passage. There he'd burst into his father's Shiro with the girl slung over his shoulder, dodging every servant, evading every inquiry, all the way to his personal wing.

For then, he ground his teeth.

Best he shift his thoughts.

Sesshomaru, in red pajamas and a fitted V-neck tee, sat neatly on the couch, Kagome plopping down next to him with a remote in her hand. His arm found its way around her, pulling her closer as an unnatural glow cast about the room. "When you say _horror,_ what do you mean?"

"Movies meant to cause fear and dread. They have stuff like crazy people, monsters and uh… _demons_ in them." He shot a pointed glance at her. Chuckling, she held his stare. "Suspenseful thrillers too."

"And in those?" He asked, focused intently on her lips. Conditions were definitely favorable tonight, but first, he'd satisfy her need to explain things.

"Okay, so let's say you live alone in a one-story house. One night, while you're in bed you hear footsteps _under_ the floor. Your heart's racing because it could be anything, and when you finally gather the courage to get out of bed, _it_ lets out a manic laugh directly under your feet."

 _A bit anticlimactic,_ he mused. That sounded irritating, not terrifying.

"And then others, like this one," she went on, selecting a title from the menu, "have all that _and_ gore." Turning to the graphic on the screen, he recognized the word ' _massacre_ ' and not much else. "It's about a psychopath who cuts the faces off his victims."

"... faces?"

"He's disfigured and doesn't like the one he was born with..."

 _Oh._

Sesshomaru blinked. That was a lot to unpack.

"So, you like the _horror_?" He asked her awkwardly, at which she smiled.

"It is fun to be scared sometimes."

At a loss, Sesshomaru just stared. _She derives enjoyment from dread?_ This was the same girl who expressed _very_ clearly how she disliked certain facets of his behavior.

Then, it hit him.

An epiphany, and he never felt more stupid.

Coy as she was, Kagome inadvertently confirmed something he had secretly hoped for. Through all her contradictions and misdirections, what she called creepy could easily be swapped for... _thrilling._

From the first day, until now, time and time again she implied this, and time and time again it escaped him.

"That one."

Withering, she looked up his shoulder. "Does it _have_ to be that one? I hate slasher films."

"Gore is no mind to me. Before you, it was present at every meal."

She started the movie, brows drawn together in thought. "Is that instinct? Like, can you only go so long before you have to?"

"... before I have to what?"

"Kill _."_

"You ask that I reveal my innermost? The dark nature of a demon?" He marveled at her child-like inquisitiveness. Some things humans had no business knowing. However, if he thought she would accept his silence he was mistaken.

"I'm curious."

He moved against her. Upstairs he could hear Mrs. Higurashi settling into bed. "I fear you will send me to the shrine..."

"I might if you don't start talking," she teased, clutching his arm.

How to explain the ferality within in good grace? Kagome had lost her appetite when told her what he preferred to eat, and when crossed by Koga, she bared witness to it then too.

He half-turned to face her.

But then his gaze strayed to the television, her questioning eyes searching his face. Kagome looked to see what won him, pursing her lips when she did. Here she was, trying to learn the nature of the beast, and there he was—switching between her and a shirtless woman on the screen.

"You were saying?" In through one ear and out the other. She shouldn't be so upset—pornography didn't move frame by frame in his time. " _Sesshomaru_."

In spirit, he was with the man as the blonde crawled up the bed and sat on him. She punched his arm. "Hey! I'm talking to—don't look back at it!"

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _There's a kit in her group._

"I'm waiting." Kagome was persistent.

… _can't tell her that._

Tasting dread in his throat, Sesshomaru let out a grim breath. "Very well," he said reluctantly. "But I ask that you lay down your human disposition."

She'd try.

If only Sesshomaru would _speak_ already. He tore away, blinking down at the shadows underneath the coffee table, musing.

Impatient, she stole his arm and yanked. "Oh, would you just—"

"Damn you, girl," he growled, "I'm _trying."_

Kagome smiled a little. "You're so cute when you're mad."

His expression went dark and impassive. He would ignore that remark, for darklings were anything but cute.

"Man compares his own wicked ways to demons," Sesshomaru began gravely. In the background, a bloodied woman shrieked; Leatherface closing in on her. "They trifle with the realms of mad Gods for no sound reason."

"I'm not sure I understand."

The youkai gestured at the T.V. screen, watching on in abject apathy. To him, the scene was little more than the caressed fantasies of prey long freed from the constraints of their fragility.

"I'm good at killing, Miko," he stated, chin raised, features strong, "the best."

"I already knew that."

"Yes, but without cruelty, power can spoil a thrill that borders on pleasure… a delight which trumps the finale." Blinking in rising horror, Kagome stiffened. "... you judge this one."

"... I'm not."

"Liar."

For some time, neither said anything, the silence leaving a high-strung stillness disturbed only by a small voice.

"You make them suffer, for the thrill."

Mortified, gold opened wide. "I am merciful," he returned promptly, "The hunt _is_ euphoric, but death finds them easily."

 _Oh, thank god._

 _He doesn't play with his food. For a second there I thought..._

Kagome let her body recline against him, relaxing her hand on his thigh. "The more I get to know you, the more I'm intrigued by the contradictions in your personality. So calm and controlled, yet under all of that is a quiet storm.

 _And_ you're cuddly, which is hilarious because your body is literally a weapon. I love that."

There was a strange lurch in Sesshomaru's chest. His heart turning over, he was steadily getting bent out of shape as her words echoed in his head— especially that last statement. He did not expect to be received so entirely, nor did he expect her to suddenly become more dear to him.

All reason flown, it startled him. His knitted cast—a look of near confusion—was evidence of this. What's more, he hurt. If Kagome found him so "cuddly," why deny him still? She could come to him in the middle of the night, crawl under his blanket and share his tongue flushed hip to hip, but if he wanted any more, everything stopped. It was maddening. As if held up and tied down, his gut was in knots, but those knots were loosening—like his lips.

"Let's finish the movie." Dark hair spread over his lap, Kagome had put her head where her hand had been. She made herself comfortable, one leg bent at the knee, the other stretched across the length of the couch.

"You are enjoying this," he accused, scowling down her petite body. "Provoking me."

"I'll admit I do enjoy playing with you," Kagome giggled, and he grumbled something she didn't catch. "... hm? What was that?"

"I said you're an insufferable cock tease." That wiped the smile clean off her face. "Do you intend for me to hold you down and strip you bare? Or would you prefer I beg for it like my brother?"

A tiny voice whispered deep inside Kagome, and it said, _ah shit._

God's forsaken, Sesshomaru just couldn't hold his tongue. "You want something, but can't stay out of your head long enough for me to give it to you." Struggling to keep up, not only was Kagome stuck on 'cock tease' and 'begging,' she also battled with the naughtiest of timelines. Inuyasha shared his grievances sitting in that very spot too. The only difference being it took him years to admit what the older brother had in less than two weeks. "I could go insane from your scant caresses, but how _cruelly_ you have told me 'no' after stroking me so intimately."

With every bit of her feminine instinct, Kagome sat up knowing it was time to stop playing and ante up. "I never told you _no_."

He visibly tensed.

"... you never told me _yes_."

"... I didn't?" She said without thinking, and the incredulous sound that came from his throat, a snarl accented by a gasp, made her flinch. Kagome wondered if it was inu for ' _you can't be serious,'_ but not for long, for it was her turn to gasp as he scooped her up and threw her onto her back.

Pale arms at either side of her shoulders, her core tightened to a sensual warning meeting his heavy-lidded gaze. He was almost too perfect, too inviting to be believed, but when his dreamy stare darkened, giving him a fiendish cast of demeanor, she abruptly remembered _what_ Sesshomaru was, and that her naiveté was a sorry excuse to run him dry with her girlish games. A smirk curling in one corner, it was the smuggest she'd ever seen him. How many seductive tricks did he have up his sleeves from his many rendezvous? Her mind ran wild surrounded by a seemingly endless stream of silver, a few strands tickling her cheek, only she couldn't feel them; his knee spreading her thighs apart and the near full weight of his firm groin eclipsed all else.

"Relax," he said. It came out harsher than intended, like a demand, but Kagome didn't mind. She loved it when he told her to relax, and had started to tell him that when he came down on his elbows and lowered his lips to hers.

They fell away from the world.

A tender promise of more to come, the kiss was soft and slow, passionate in ways his words could never be. He coiled her hair in his hand, the other moving down her neck, all the way to her exposed navel, where her stomach lurched to the barest hint of claws before he rounded her waist and pulled her closer. His heart pounding against her own, Kagome tilts her head as he dips inside for a long lick, urging her to kiss him back. For fear of history repeating itself, Sesshomaru angles his face so lovingly as she slides in over a sharp point, but he was being too cautious. When he realized what she was doing, seeking out the hazards in his mouth, he failed to hold his growl in the most pathetic way imaginable.

They savored each other in the moments soft caresses grew firm, their chests heaving, hips crowding as they shared a common ache. Kagome breathed a moan. His cock was like the hilt of a katana as he positioned her, rocking up against her slickening sex, the length of his back endless as her hands wandered down to tangle in the river of silk pouring down his spine.

He broke away to snatch a breath.

"God, how you make me _want."_ Their incomplete contact caused such a wretched state of burning need he dropped the last of his civility. " _Fuck me."_

Her pulse skyrocketed. His strained and vulgar plea went straight to the hollow throbbing between her thighs. "My family," she panted hot, "what if they hear?"

"I'll hear them first," he said, then yanked the hem of her shirt neck high.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **A/N:** Incoming lemon with some less than polite _shushing_.

" _What was that noise?"_ Idk. Could it be the house settling into its foundation or gramps, the resident Grand Marshall cockblock? If you ever tried to sneak one out in your parent's house, the next one might be for you. Thanks for reading!


	32. Hold Your Moan

**This chapter contains** **explicit** **grown folks business**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

In the flickering glow of dim lighting, Sesshomaru drank in pale skin, pupils enlarging as if drawing in more. Kagome stared up at him with near intolerable want while strain sharpened his features and firmed his jaw. He ached to cut into her clothes and lay her bare, but knew partial nudity was tactically superior to full nudity in the event of any intrusions.

"Beautiful," he said simply, his fingers roving all over as he delighted in her soft, feminine curves. If it were possible, her cheeks burned brighter. Often veiled behind a formal lexicon, Sesshomaru issued praise rather conservatively, so hearing him say it while one hand rounded beneath the swell of her breast, the other flat on her stomach, set her soul on fire.

Kagome longed to explore in kind but couldn't quite catch her breath. Plus, she didn't want to infringe upon his present campaign. She had reason to believe he deemed her alien in some way. His handling had an experimental quality about it, as though her mortality held some novelty he couldn't get used to.

Sesshomaru _did_ consider her exotic. He worshiped her body's pliability, how claws seemed to sink in further than what they would have with a demoness. Fascinated, he pricked her here, spun a claw under there—playing when he should've been coaching. It couldn't be helped. The prince anticipated a first of his own despite being well-bred and bred well; adoring the way his fetish fidgeted to the barest caress and flushed at the slightest glance.

Were all humans as easily stimulated as her? It seemed every inch of her skin was a receptacle for pleasure.

Satisfied with his less than sensual prodding, he decided it was time to pet the girl more intimately before she realized it was a true dog who finessed her bra up to her collarbone. Gently, he cupped her naked flesh, a deep, lustful roll of approval vibrating in his throat, the girl's unlocking with an abrupt gasp. Trembling in every limb, her nipples swelled to hard little points as his thumbs flicked her softly, until he lowered his head to nip the underside of one breast. Before Kagome could do more than squirm, his lips sealed over a peak, curving her back off the cushions while he sucked and _pulled_. Eyes screwed shut, she clenched around his waist, moaning, shuddering as a searing jolt skimmed over her mound to the hard ridge pressed against her most sensitive place.

Strike one.

With an audible _pop_ , he released her hardened bud and pressed his long finger to a carnivorous smirk, its message clear:

 _Be quiet_.

"You honestly expect me to—"

"Miko..." Husky, his voice also held a scolding tone, for it was imperative that she shut up. Human hearing or not, some things her family was bound to notice. She stifled a moan as his tongue swirled around the bud he neglected, as he kneaded the other he abandoned. Silence would be a tall order. He had just started and already Kagome needed to cry out. She almost did when he reared up to palm her between her thighs. Instead, she whimpered and breathed his name, seized his shirt, tugged at it, and ground her hips into the muted pleasure.

With his fingers and tongue, he worked her in tandem, each sensation intensifying the rippling tide which lapped at her core. A growl emerged riding a low note, animating her further as it reverberated through his teeth and onto the tip he suckled.

Sesshomaru felt himself become harder.

The girl's helpless writhing, her panting—the sweet sounds he pulled from her body like an erotic instrument—aggravated something primitive buried within. Sixteen thousand years of culture fell from him, and without warning, he took the lamb by her neck, hardware sharp on her pulse. Kagome clutched his arms, blunt nails gouging shallow crescents into his triceps. Her initial reaction had been instinctual—as any other would be with cutters fastened to their lifeline—however, she had long accepted that Sesshomaru was merely a demon disguised as "human." On the pave of a _wicked_ pre-orgasmic flutter, she slid her hands over his broad shoulders and into his hair, fisting the silken strands tightly.

"How your blood riots now that fangs are on your throat." His voice rolled against her skin like thunder, and she gasped. Not only were the layers between them doing little to lessen the threat of penetration, but everything about his bearings—the way his arms trembled, the way his teeth gripped at her flesh—made it explicit that he was doing all within his power to hold himself.

His jaw tightened. Any more and Kagome's blood would spill.

And it _hurt—burned,_ yet the bite of fangs paired deliciously with the claws between her legs. She purred a soft surrendering sound and angled willingly into peril.

Behind the mask of his sedated delight, high on a feminine scent sweeter than any flower, Sesshomaru _swayed._ She gave him permission to go too far, and though the beast within had no objection to some depravity in his spoil, that sort of masochism was no kin to slow healing mortals. Ruling against it, he released her neck with a tender lick, then traced his hot tongue over the livid depressions his fangs had left behind.

"What a _twisted_ girl you are," he said, hot and deep-toned. Gazing into her eyes, he was answered with a dreamy stare, one more than passion—one of offering, and he knew right then, as she swept hair from his face, that they shared an immoral obsession that even he wouldn't dare speak of.

Yet.

" _Please_..." Starved for his lips, Kagome snatched his collar and yanked—

and it was as if they heard a ringside bell—

Devouring with their mouths; tongues thrusting inside, desperate and eager, taking and sucking—

hands all over; in silver, in black, lifting his shirt, fondling ridges, upon her ass, creasing into arches—

Hardness crushed to softness and girl and demon writhed as one, entered a realm where they were divinely alone to steal the other's breath, to succumb to the scorching heat of skin against skin.

Her hands slid up as claws ventured down and breached one elastic border, then another; the unruly kiss broken after a tentative graze.

 _Incredible. I've hardly—_

"How are you so slick?" Sesshomaru asked like he was suspicious, like she was up to something by being so wet. Kagome bit her lip, barely containing her moan. The merest touch was almost enough to let all praise loose when he spread her carefully and dipped inside, caressing with maddeningly light strokes. Her body gave him melody while he circled with an expertly varied rhythm, while he relished in his favorite song—her moans and the soft, wet slip of fingers sliding over quivering flesh.

Face dark, breathing raw, Sesshomaru reared up and grunted, "Touch me." His groin felt miserably tight straining the stitching of his pants all while he rudely fondled himself.

Fingers playing the girl still, his request—which had been more like a demand—was met with delays.

Catching her wrist, he pressed the heel of her palm onto his erection, revealing a sharp glimpse of white as he guided her up and down. After the drama of touching him for the first time diminished, with boldness exceeding her experience, she pulled at everything until his member sprang forth, hard as steel. She learned where magenta stripes tapered off to fine points; several inches offside soft, silver down and his beautiful ache, which wept, a clear bead on the tip. Her mouth went dry as she enclosed her fingers around his sleek heat.

His cock had a distinctive upward curve.

" _Jesus_." Kagome forgot who she prayed to.

"It seems you are favorably impressed." She heard the faint catch in his voice as she gave him one experimental stroke. His length above average, it was as impressive as she imagined it would be.

But it was his girth that made her swallow hard. His was a formidable piece of equipment, thick and _heavy_ , like a weapon.

And she knew it was going to be a problem—and that she might not have any grip left after fucking around with him.

Fortunately for her, Sesshomaru knew the importance of _prep,_ and that even now, as her essence trickled down to her other entrance, the girl was not ready. Wishing to get to this point again, it was in his best interest to loosen her proper.

His control threatened to snap. "Tighter," he said, shoving himself into her hand, his own tugging fleece and soaked panties to mid-thigh. He'd levy a good look shortly, but first, with his index and ring finger, he secured her clit and pressed toward her pelvic wall, unsheathing, gliding back and forth as his middle circled her exposed bundle of nerves. It forced a sudden gasp from her, the movement she worked around his cock broken.

Strike two.

"Hold your moan," he told her, "unless you want them to hear."

Eyes shut, Kagome nodded, but now that he had taken command of her body, his fingers moving faster, hers barely moved around him. But that suited Sesshomaru just fine. Watching her tremble, her lips squeezed together to stop herself from crying out, was payment enough.

Her stomach quivering, chest heaving, climax was imminent, but he wouldn't send her over just yet.

Delicately, he dipped inside.

"Careful," he cautioned when she jumped. His entry was shallow as claws restricted the depth to which he could safely penetrate. Still, what he desired most was thickest at its source.

For some time, in quiet, lustful awe, Sesshomaru stared at the clear threads glistening between his fingers, before he snared her nectar on his tongue and pulled the string until it gave.

Kagome watched this filth stunned stiff, alarm prickling in her scalp.

"Delicious," he drawled. "I feel myself becoming increasingly hungry." He lapped greedily at his fingers, cleaning them, then glanced down at her with his usual arrogance. "What shall I eat?"

She blinked at him as if the answer was too vulgar for words. "Y-you're a pervert."

The demon chuckled darkly. "If you think this is me being perverted, you have a great deal to learn, Kagome."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Pajamas and underwear hung off one leg. Just in case.

Breathing in an intoxicating honeyed heat, Sesshomaru arranged his delicacy, spreading her wide to the cool air to finally look at her _there_. Kagome's reward for overcoming her demurity would be a well-versed tongue, though, ever coy, her head fell to the cushions.

But then something compelled her to brave a glance—

and _everything_ clinched at the sight.

Slit and thickly lashed, an eerie yellow cast stared intently at her, rendering her tharn like a hare caught in headlights.

 _Oh, god. I'm not going to make it._

"Not a sound," Sesshomaru warned, then captured her with his mouth. Pleasure exceeding his carnal caresses crackled through her. Kagome groaned low in her throat, a shuddering sound as he lifted her, thumb claws spreading her further as he tasted her with one, long lingering lick. His tongue was the cure, a tropical remedy that he swept up one side and down the other, oftentimes using the entire flat surface in broad strokes, on occasion centering the sensation with a firm tip, at other times, suckling.

But it was when he performed a combination of all three—a kind of _lap_ , _flick_ and _suck_ technique—did he have her in hysterics.

Kagome tried to hold it in but his triple assault rode her up the wall.

She cried out, and again.

Strike thr—

Sesshomaru froze, tongue flat on her throbbing clit. Mouth slick, he sat up and shook the fists from his hair, the tips of his ears twitching, reaching out like radar through the walls.

Are spirits scheming?

Below his chin, his nymph whined as she rose to present her sex to distracted lips, and _oh_ ,how he contemplated murder, how there would be no one to notice if there was _no one_ to notice. If all were slain, maybe then he could enjoy his meal amongst the ruin and rot.

False alarm.

Just a portly feline who had hopped off Kagome's bed.

And with a lick that sent her body jumping, he covered her mouth and quickly brought her to climax. She cried as she came, jerking to toss her head to the sofa—except the claws holding her mouth kept her so Sesshomaru could witness in full her look of near-pain, feel her tattered breath gust against his hand as she keened, see brown eyes roll to the gods—

" _Look at me_ ," he rasped. Sesshomaru would die if robbed from her breathtaking performance.

Kagome shuddered and sobbed under his unwavering hand. Her eyes, now wrought with delirious ecstasy, made him groan, and he had the poor girl convulsing, bucking this way and that as he forced her to endure the exquisite agony of post-orgasmic torture.

She tried to flee but claws drew her back.

There would be no escape from his relentless tongue.

" _Yes_." He hissed through her cries, which had risen almost to shrieks. "Don't fight it."

Pleasure boiled over, another peak spiraling out of control, turning into a sanity-shattering rapture that fluttered on and on. She felt him sucking, heard him swallowing before he reared back to indulge in the small, residual contractions rippling from her breasts to her quivering entrance.

Filled with everything he had drunk in, the sights and sounds of her body he fed on like a fiend, he removed his palm and branded what was beneath it into his mind. Kagome used to glare at him like some angry cat, but now she lay before him, ebony snaking out like roots, colored pink and misty-eyed. It was incredible. She had reached nirvana so easily. It seemed only after Inuyoukai nursed their respective wounds while panting in a ruined chamber were his counterparts as satisfied.

He mounted her.

"Wait," she said, panting. Sesshomaru felt the life go out of him, and he came dangerously close to letting out a whine of his own.

"You are ready for me." In a state bordering on insanity, giving his body something to work with, he stroked his thick length with tight, fast tugs. "If you _dare_ fix your mouth to tell me no—"

"But I want to try too." She sat up and met him on his hinges, holding his raging desire for her between her fingers.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

On this night, with the blood-curdling screams of a man being sawed in half in the background, a Daiyoukai would fall hopelessly in love with humanity.

From the level of his navel, on her knees, Kagome endeared herself to him as she stared up lovingly into gold with a full mouth. He felt his lips part, his own breath squeeze through his teeth as more of him disappeared. Fangs had always been a threat with his own, a practice done with utmost care—if performed at all—but inside her mouth, apart from the occasional scrape, was mostly a hot, writhing tongue and toe-curling suction.

Her first time, Kagome's technique left some to be desired. That was fine. More than fine. He was delighted to have her and didn't want to discourage. And she couldn't take in all of him, though she did try. Earnestly, he'd praise—if plain words were possible as she clasped around the wide base of his length and sucked him deep— _deeper_.

Claws advanced to sweep the dark fall of her hair as to not obstruct his view, but when she began to pump his shaft, winding around what couldn't fit, his head fell back, stomach going rigid as if cut from stone. There was a low rumbling behind his teeth as he was gradually torn down; a slight of fang, brows crinkling, until his features twisted into a full grimace.

" _Oh_ ," he gasped suddenly, " _I like that._ " Sesshomaru sounded so broken, his pained mumbling a shock to them both. To hear him unraveling, to see his stoic demeanor transform into something she had never seen before, sent a thrill straight to her core.

 _Dear God, he's magnificent._

She had him palpitating, and he was so far gone, so wrapped up in the silky warmth of her mouth, the fact that the silence had been disturbed didn't enter his mind until he turned to the left—where Buyo watched perched on the arm of the sofa.

" _God_." His head hit the backrest, where he groaned deeply; harsh like it scraped over gravel on its way out his throat. "... so fucking good."

For a moment, Kagome let up. "I cannot believe how dirty your mouth is."

The audacity.

"You have a dirty— _ungh."_ Her eyes lit up with girlish triumph. He fell for it.

An onset dire need cemented his spine, the strands caught on the upholstery showing how far he had slid from where he originally was. Her every flick and swirl compelled him to thrust into the delicious joy of penetrating her pretty face.

Kagome gagged. "I'm sorry," she coughed.

She was so beautiful, damp lashes and all, and Sesshomaru couldn't help but lean forward and plant a soft kiss on her forehead, on the bridge of her nose—a lick for the lips that pleased him so. It was ridiculous for her to apologize for choking, and the demon tried to tell her, but she stuffed his cock back in her mouth and he moaned his apology instead.

With the entirety of his focus between her lips, Sesshomaru was mentally vacant, off wandering in the thick of a sensual forest, the trees themselves panting along with him.

What was left of his functioning brain alerted him to a disturbance. He believed the cat was somewhere in the kitchen.

Which meant one thing.

Someone was coming.

But so was he.

And the possibility of discovery had a nostalgic flavor that made it that more erotic for him.

"Faster," he breathed, gripping her hair tighter than any fist, _"_ fast— _yes_." She picked up the pace, her hand working around him in perfect sync, raising his hips. Head back, he groaned with pleasure, tension building, drawing tight, then twanging through him in a spastic rhythm as he climaxed. Hard.

Disentangling his claws, he glanced down and frowned. "Is my taste that bad?"

"No, it's just… it tastes—" His frown deepened. "I'd do it again if that's what you're wondering."

Joy, unspeakable joy.

However! Creaking floorboards abruptly yanked him back into existence, and in a less than studied calm, he informed, "The boy—your brother. He is coming."

"Shit!" They moved quickly to make themselves decent. Somehow, Kagome had enough time to slip him a scathing glare. "Why didn't you warn me sooner?"

Clothed, Sesshomaru sat. His eyes narrowed to a dry half-cast, giving him a sarcastic quality that looked at home on his mug. "Oh," he said, "you are serious."

"Of course I'm seriou—"

No sooner did Kagome hurry to the opposite end of the couch did Sota come tramping down the stairs.

"Texas Chainsaw?"

"Y-yeah." Kagome couldn't look at him, Sesshomaru either. His evasive stare seemed to look through the movie rather than at it.

"The dude getting sawed in half is the best part," the tween added, then proceeded to the kitchen to refuel for another long night of online gaming.

"Too close, Sesshomaru. My panties aren't even on straight. Next time… hey. What's wrong?"

Lots of things. Her grandfather opening his door being one of them. And with the boy firing up something in the kitchen, he almost regretted taking oral over regular sex. Almost.

"I want to go home, Kagome. We have to do something about that well."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **A/N:** This was _incredibly_ difficult to write. Holy shit.

-And a shot of vodka for one of my favorite writers, **wonderbug** , because I don't know how she does it. What's another? I had plenty while writing this. This chapter was a nod to a scene in " **Transgressions.** " I cannot recommend her stories enough. I feel like ever since I started reading her work in mid-2018 my own writing has gotten a little better.

Thanks for reading!


	33. The Shakes

For days on end, the Monk and the slayer flew west, only stopping to rest when Kirara had neared her limit. They didn't like sitting still for too long, lest they were haunted by the unsettling memory of Inuyasha's closing moments. Pained, the trip was a gloomy one, but their friend did not die in vain.

On the outermost edge of the Western Kingdom, where the forest was thickest, a shudder ran down Kirara's back. Three white blurs were moving in fast, but before they could prepare themselves, the trio was surrounded by two Inuyoukai, the other transforming and looking up at them from the ground. The other dogs were smaller than Sesshomaru, not even half his size, but no less intimidating.

"Ningen," the male barked at Miroku and Sango, "you are forbidden to enter the land of the dogs."

"Please listen," Miroku started to say, "we were sent by one of your kind."

"You lie." Incredulous, the demon narrowed his eyes. A darker shade of amber, they were vaguely familiar and held an obscure likeness to the Inuyoukai they knew. "No dog in his right mind would be so foolish to send humans here."

"Is there anything I could say or do that would move you from that?"

As Miroku pled his case, Sango eased her hand from her weapon as the demon turned to her, thinking. Her fingers tightened around the grips when his deep voice thundered: "This is your final warning. Take your beast of burden and leave."

"Densetsu, you idiot!" The crackly voice seemed to come from the growth, from the direction of a tree that seemed more unusual—and green—the longer they stared. "Call off the whelps," said the glowing tree.

"But the ningen—"

"Now!"

The general ordered his underlings to roost, and they too exchanged forms as Kirara landed and followed suit.

"Border patrol... border patrol my left paw!" Cried a figure as it walked out from inside the tree. "Look at the state of these trainees. This one's all leg and limb, and the other one..." Ishiyaya was not impressed. "You hide it well from ignorant eyes, but you have a slight underbite. Mayhaps your mother knew your uncle well?"

Sango shared a look with the Monk. "What's going on here?"

Ishiyaya made a waving gesture with her claws. "Politics, Demon Slayer. Now then, back to the matter at hand. You mentioned Inuyasha. What of the illegitimate heir?"

"The woman is a slayer?" An Inuyoukai no older than two-hundred and fifty said to the other. Young, they had never seen a human that close, and slayers were rumored dead.

Sango readied her weapon and all except Ishiyaya tensed. "I don't like the way that one is staring at me."

"Look into his eyes, Slayer. He's intrigued by you," Ishiyaya chuckled as the Inuyoukai gave a delicately suggestive tilt of his head, "if not a little smitten too." That locked everyone up until Miroku cleared his throat.

"Excuse _my_ mate. Some distrust comes with her trade. I'll admit that even I assumed dog demons were either brash and aggressive or cold and calculating."

"That's an interesting deduction. In any case, you should know that when it comes to humans..." It was not the old one's place to say without the consent of the Prince. The kingdom's secrets needed safeguarding. "Something has to go very wrong for Inuyoukai to bring harm to your kind. I wouldn't expect you to know that though, so tell me why you risked finding that out."

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" Miroku asked.

The elder stepped forward to get a closer look at him. Her judgment was swift. "Ishiyaya, keeper of historical text. I personally taught our last three rulers, the last of which is our sightseeing potentate, Sesshomaru."

Miroku bowed and introduced himself while Sango kept a close eye on her silver-haired admirer. "I take it Sesshomaru is doing his usual? Off wandering Kami knows where?"

"You speak his name so casually," Densetsu said. It didn't sit right with him. "You're a holy man. Surely, you know of proper honorifics."

Miroku too observed the young dog, not liking the look in his eyes as he recognized it. "We're allies of sorts."

" _This_ Kingdom is allied only to the bears in the Southern—"

"Oh give it a rest, would you?" Ishiyaya detested formalities at the best of times. "Use your brain, _general._ Twice humans have entered our territory in less than a moon's time."

Densetsu couldn't believe his pointed ears. "Twice? When was the first? Does Sesshomaru-sama know?"

"I'd say he knows considering he was the one who brought the young lady here on his back. Sweet girl, that Kagome." Trinkets jingled and mouths dropped. Even Kirara leaned in with a _mew_. "Feisty too! Marched right up to His Highness's face snarling as fierce as any dog." She clasped her wrinkled hands together. "Ah, they're a match, those two. Don't ask me how I know, I just do."

" _Kagome?"_ Miroku was stunned. "Kagome was here with Sesshomaru? When?"

"Around the first quarter moon, I gather."

"We were traveling with Inuyasha then," Sango recalled. "I can't believe she was creeping around with his brother while—"

"Tend to your own rice fields, Slayer," jeered Ishiyaya. "No one likes a gossip."

"But you—"

"No, no. That's all you're getting from me. We're moving on without you, Dearie. Kagome's your friend, isn't she? Ask her why she prefers the elder brother. And speaking of brothers, you've mentioned his name three times now. So I ask you again, why are you here?"

Sango didn't want to believe Kagome was a two-timer. Inuyasha didn't deserve that, not after what he said, not after he made them promise to tell her to take her time on her way to the afterlife, where they would meet again. When she took in a deep breath the friendly expression on Ishiyaya's leathery face disappeared. "Inuyasha is dead."

"... so you've come to bear bad news."

"There's more," Sango added grimly.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

History was immutable. For the longest time he had scoffed at sentimentality, dug claws into the thighs of many, as he had with Kagome, but matters were different now. Her affectionate and playful nature made him melt, and more than ever Sesshomaru knew intimacy meant more than sharing flesh.

In spite of her nativity, Kagome understood that. It was there, beneath an icy surface, that what suggested a repressed and exaggerated sensuality, like he was waiting for approval to surrender to it. However, Sesshomaru was disinclined to hear those words out loud, and in between his heart throbs, his back shrank into the futon as his palpitations continued to pound an erratic beat.

He turned away from her, eyes veiled behind his hair. "Do not tell me what I am and do not tell anyone else." His threat was an omen of great peril, and when he looked back at her, try as he might to sour his expression, Kagome wished his lips would jump from his face over to hers all the same.

She curled her leg between his and embraced him. "It's true though."

"Are you capable of going a single day without scandalizing me?"

"Oh stop it," she said raising herself slightly off his chest, the dog may bite, "you put up such a front." His rebuttal was delayed, but when he found his words they were cut suddenly by a groan.

"Kagome?"

"It's okay. Just a cramp. My period is starting soon."

He blinked up at her. "... your what?"

"You know…" He didn't. "When we bleed…"

 _Hn._ "... your heat?"

Now she blinked down at him. "My what?"

"You're coming into season."

"Oh, you think—" Kagome snorted. "I wish, but no, it's every month."

Sesshomaru sat up and glared. "You're saying you could get pregnant _every_ new moon?"

"Mm-hmm." He paled. "But there's ways to avoid it, and I can track it… unless there's something different about, um, demon soldiers."

The youkai's expression transformed into a dark thing. "My stock is not _weak_."

Slowly, Kagome leaned away. "I never said they were. But do you not _want_ them to be? Because considering... I mean, I like you. Like, a lot, but _kids—"_

"Not kids. They would be hanyou if—" She moved further away. "My fondness for you—I-I'm not implying that we…" Kagome smiled through a shiver. He was turning red! Sesshomaru's room was always ice cold, and his stammering was a temporary cure for the chill and her menstrual discomfort. "My fur," he rose with an odd toss in his voice, "do you want it?"

Nearing the tender age of nineteen in a few days, Kagome was just as horrified at the thought of children. But she was smug as ever. She'd file this interaction in her vault of cherished memories under: _The Ice Prince Can Blush_.

Sesshomaru, thankful for the change in topic, roused youki to encircle his pelt around her. His little trouble maker sighed as she sat up and crossed her legs.

"I love it when it does this. How come it doesn't do it every time?" The demon hiked a brow. "Here. Feel."

"This is pointless. It's always warm when—"

"It's quivering. But it only does it when I'm shaking from the cold. You feel it, don't you? Sesshomaru?" He had steeled his face in a way that she hadn't seen before, and in his eyes, gone was his usual calm—there was only shock, which wafted like smoke from one golden eye to the other. "Are you okay?" Sesshomaru was not okay. This changed everything, and the longer he held onto his pelt, the stronger it shuddered. Kagome was oblivious, but he knew why it tremored and what it meant. At first, his movements were controlled, but as he pulled his arm back, it fell to his lap as if made of lead. "What? Is it not supposed to do this? Did I break it?"

"No. It's doing what it's supposed to."

Kagome stiffened. His words sounded thick and far, far away. This reminded her of something. "Funny. That night when you left me with Ishiyaya, we talked about it. And when I told her she had that same look on her face too."

He reckoned the elder would, and all at once he was grateful and sick and furious that she hadn't told the Miko why. Better he let her know personally, though, it was a lot to uncrate. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Don't talk to me so accusingly. I thought it was something it just did—like a feature. And we weren't exactly on friendly terms when it first happened either. And I _really_ didn't want you to think I'm some kind of pervert."

"And why would I think that?" Some indecipherable passion flickered in his eyes. "You are the farthest thing from that." But as Kagome told him why, she was not turned, and it seemed the only way to convince her otherwise meant doing something he dreaded—which was a long session of emotional acrobatics. Silence crawled on between them, weighing down like a bodily force, the four walls closing in, urging him to speak the naked truth. "At times, when I touch you, I feel like I shouldn't. The feeling is vague and has some resemblance to guilt, as if I'm ruining you. But what I find laughable is how you use words like "perverted" to describe yourself when you're merely curious."

"Because this one wants to ruin you. That is my desire, my intent." He had expected Kagome to recoil, had thought she'd shrug out his fur as she ran down the hall screaming in terror. But she hadn't so much as flinched. Rather, she scratched her nose, totally indifferent, leaving Sesshomaru dangling by a provisional thread. "I would loathe myself for all eternity if I did. And yet…"

"Don't stop there," she urged, "say it. All of it."

"And yet, I know I would still enjoy it."

"But you won't," she said automatically.

"I would."

"I mean you wouldn't hurt me because I'd hurt you first."

Indignation was in her blood. He smirked, amused by her fierce eyes and bold promise. Sesshomaru saw through it. How easily she forgave. How foolishly and earnestly she appealed to him. If lucky, Kagome would keep him busy for years to come, and he'd adore her not logically but too well. "Come," he said deeply, "I want you near me."

"I am near."

" _Nearer."_ Sesshomaru swallowed as he watched her hair slip from her shoulder, straightened his posture when he suddenly realized he was forced to be a participant in a girlish game of tease. And from under curled lashes, tease him she did; his prudence discarded, flung to the wind, pride forgotten, and self-possession powerless to deny indifference. Her charm dispelled without a word, she had the audacity to turn away from him.

"I don't know," she drawled with a tune, "seems dangerous."

"Only if you remain where you are."

She moved closer for his and her sake, allowing him to run his hands over her shoulders and into her hair. In the hours before dawn, while the Higurashi family slept, he kissed her with more passion than he thought he possessed. The kiss told Kagome what he was feeling, far more than what he felt comfortable saying. Sesshomaru may never say it, but if actions were louder than words, she heard him loud and clear. Slowly, he pulled away, stared down at her, and gently pressed his thumbclaw to her bottom lip.

"Just so you know," he breathed, "about our nights in the forest, I would have been a great deal more friendlier knowing you pleasured yourself with my Mokomoko."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Sesshomaru was clever, but so was Kagome. He tried to glide past the incident with his pelt with a sweltering kiss, but she wouldn't give him any peace.

"Is it a secret?"

"No more a secret than yours."

 _That's right._

Kagome had nothing to lose—or fear—about telling him what happened in the shrine weeks ago. Perhaps, some embarrassment.

"You go first. Mine's worse."

He scoffed. "I doubt that but very well."

"... you're not saying anything. Why were you all shaken up earlier?"

"Some patience would do you well," he returned, "it's no easy task explaining why we're intended to be mated for life."

"W-what did you say?"

 **A:N:** It's been a minute and I'm a little rusty. Trying to get this darn plot off my back. Not sure when the next chapter will be finished, but we'll dig into Sesshomaru's emotions one good, last time before the climax. No, not that… idk, maybe.


	34. Come And Talk To Me

**It's been forever! I've been practicing with other stories and put what I learned in this chapter.**

 **Just a heads up for any would be pearl clutchers, they're not on dear Momma Higurashi's couch this time.**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Kagome looked away from her bedroom window.

Lately, Sesshomaru made a habit out of going off on his own. It gave them time away from each other, and it was in his nature to roam. However, as understanding as she was, she was starting to feel anxious. It was freezing out and he had left wearing a long sleeve cotton shirt and his match-making fur.

 _Nothing unusual in the news._

 _Guess he's okay… wherever he is._

She opened her laptop.

In the demon world, when two compatible souls meet, the universe has a way of making it known. For dog demons it's a simple gesture. When Sesshomaru spoke of his fur, he explained that it was not a phenomenon that happened often, nor did it have to be bided by. One can live without their soulmate despite having met them, it's just difficult to live well with the knowledge.

She knew love had nothing to do with his birth. His father reserved that for Inuyasha's mother. Yet Sesshomaru's explanation had been as crisp as his face and posture. At first, Kagome was strangely happy to hear it, giddy even—notwithstanding their relatively short time together. "Intended to be mates" did not sound like a suggestion. She believed it, though, privately, the timeline made her nervous, if not cautious.

In a little over a month, she went from loathing him to wanting him beside her at night. Heavy feelings were budding. It's what developed after infatuation, after all. But it couldn't possibly be anything more. Not yet. How could love develop from lust already, what with her being smack dab in the middle of like and… super like? Just because fate alleged that they were ideal together didn't mean like would quickly accelerate into love.

 _How would that even work?_ she wondered.

Sesshomaru was so long-lived, and Kagome had six, maybe eight more decades, tops.

And what did love have anything to do with it anyway? From her travels in the feudal era, a human loving a demon seemed complicated. Tragic too. One can have affection for someone,—a demon—be the ying to their yang and not have the marry them.

Now _that_ was worth considering.

She once read that demons make claim to their mates by biting into their necks, branding some kind of mark onto the skin.

She shifted in her chair and touched her neck. Sesshomaru had bitten her quite hard that night on her mother's couch. He left an imprint of his fangs that had bruised where the bite was deepest. Souta had noticed. And when he mentioned it, she slapped her hand over it and wore turtlenecks for a few days.

Maybe it was lore, mating marks. Maybe it wasn't. Perhaps with demons, nothing expressed love more than two ivory shafts driving into delicate flesh. Or hunger. Whichever.

 _I bet it's lore._

She was getting sidetracked, and there were more pressing thoughts. Like Sesshomaru having a distinct dislike of sharing his feelings. He acted like tender sentiments were of no consequence, as if he had no depth worth exploring, no great mystery. Sesshomaru revealed slivers of himself when Kagome wanted a proper slice. She could pinpoint the exact moment his wall went up. And it was a sturdy wall, a wall which he was fiercely jealous of. It prevented anyone from getting in or out. She wanted _in_. If he opened up and let her take a look around she'd be careful not to knock anything over.

She felt a sudden jet of guilt. She promised Inuyasha that once upon a time. He let her in and she trashed the place.

Forcing out the thought as quickly as it came, Kagome began to type.

Her foot fidgeted.

She just couldn't let it be.

Because Sesshomaru wasn't exactly _thrilled_ when he told about being mates. It steeled him, but considering he didn't emote much in general, it could've just been his face.

Yet he was so far away in his mind that he had hardly reacted when she told him what happened in the shrine house when they first arrived.

She sighed, bothered that she was so bothered. It was too early to feel this way. Their relationship—if she could call it that—hadn't even earned a title yet. "Dating," some would call it. "Messing around," her girlfriends had said.

 _An "arrangement" he says. What the hell is that?_

Kagome shuddered suddenly.

Inuyasha could rap on her windowpane any day now. And she expected nothing less than a fight if he was to see Sesshomaru on the other side of the glass.

But one crisis at a time.

Something had to be done about the enchanted well. She did not care about her upcoming birthday in a few days. Turning nineteen wasn't a big deal. Kagome was mindful of her spring semester however, and knew there was no way in hell she'd be able to concentrate with Sesshomaru around.

Not that she wanted him to leave. Quite the opposite. But he grew more restless by the day. One night, she had even caught him pacing stiffly back and forth in front of the shrine. It was a little unnerving.

She found something online.

The funny thing about living in modern Japan was that the solution to the well may be found in unlikely places. Like in books pertaining to historical myths. This book was so old that it wasn't available for check out. Fortunately, the library was only a few train rides away.

Kagome was typing the address into her phone when she felt a familiar aura. She turned to see Sesshomaru hanging outside her window in a way that if he were human he would have fallen. She got up wanting to ask a million questions but decided on one. "Where did you go?"

"No place worth telling." A particularly cold breeze lifted his hair, simultaneously cutting through Kagome's thin pajamas. Shivering, she waited for him to say something. "There is nothing to tell."

"You can't be serious."

"Quite serious," he said, and with a huff, she grabbed his collar and helped him in a little rougher than she had intended.

"Don't look at me like that. You were gone for nearly two days!"

"Yes, I have a habit of disappearing from time to time."

Kagome softened her voice. "If this is about us being… you know, I don't think it will change anything."

He glanced up from her chest. No bra. But her stupidity offended.

"The problem with that is you not thinking like a demon."

"Well," she quickly returned, though his dry tone made her feel like she was missing something. "Wouldn't that mean the problem is you not telling me what a demon thinks?"

Amazing how someone so smart could sound so dumb.

One corner of his mouth went down. He pulled his fur from his shoulder and spread it over her bed. "I wish to bathe," he said simply.

That was strange.

Kagome shut her mouth. She realized with a shock how easy it was to think that he was upset with _her_. He wasn't being dismissive to irk her. He just didn't want to argue. Perhaps for a tender reason.

He brushed by and she caught his arm. "What I meant to say is… I've missed you."

"I know." There was a considerable pause. "I've missed you too."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Kagome shut her bedroom door and climbed into bed. He was right. She wasn't thinking like a demon. But for the life of her she couldn't figure it out. She'd hate for it to be something glaringly obvious, sailing over her head because instead she thought like a self-centered idiot. For sure, bullying it out of him was not the correct approach. The stubborn dog would give her nothing that way.

Kagome turned off the lamp.

It was late, after midnight. She lay in the dark waiting for Sesshomaru, but he had soaked in the bath for close to an hour and she was sleepy.

She curled his soft fur around her. Her eyes came down slowly. They opened when she heard the scrape of her door on the carpet.

Sesshomaru stood in the doorway, his hair damp and clumped together. He stared for a moment, then shut the door and crossed the room without saying a word. The silvery light coming in from the window helped her eyes see him better. It made a pale line down his face and throat. Kagome hadn't gotten over the novelty of seeing him in modern clothing yet. His calm arrogance added an extra something to the fleece and cotton he wore.

What she didn't know was that he had swept the house before stepping into her room. Everyone, the old one, even the boy, slept. He locked Buyo in her father's study—who was all too pleased to jump on the futon.

Wide awake now, Kagome watched as he moved toward her bed. But he didn't crawl under the sheets with her. Gracefully, he lowered onto the floor, his back against the mattress, one leg bent at the knee, the other stretched across the carpet. Dignified as he was, to her it seemed like pouting.

"Sleep with me," she whispered.

"I'm not tired."

"Oh." That was all she said at first. "You know what I wish?" She caressed his hair, and he leaned into her hand, exposing his pale throat to her as he focused on an imperfection on the ceiling. "I wish you would let me comfort you."

"So comfort me."

"I will then."

Kagome threw the covers off and froze.

She drew back involuntarily. A low something, not quite a growl, had come from him. It had sounded like he struggled to keep it in his throat.

He glanced over his shoulder, and there was so much agony in his yellow leer that it instantly became her own. It heated her blood, skimmed over the tightening nerves between her legs, and when he turned away her hand flew to her chest. She knew what would happen if she were to climb down there with him.

The bedframe creaked, and as she slinked down she heard him choke back a quiet breath. Her shirt caught on the bed's edge, briefly revealing her navel. Their thighs touched. He smelled like he bathed in her body wash, used her shampoo.

Sesshomaru's claws gradually eased into his leg. Kagome should be on her back that instant, but he sensed that she was a little nervous, drawing courage from lust alone. He had decided to be tactful, let her come if she was so bold.

Well, having waited long enough, he pulled her into his lap, her back to his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, he tipped her head and gently forced his tongue between her lips.

Kagome broke the kiss. "I wanted to tell you," she said, her breath soft and fast. "But you weren't here."

His hands slid up her rib cage, his fingers teasing the underside of her breasts. "Tell me what."

"My period's over."

"So hopelessly human," he drawled. Kagome wanted so badly to see his face when he said this. He gripped her thighs and positioned her, crushing her ass directly onto his ache. "Like _that_ matters to youkai. Some blood would have only served to spread my ecstasy around."

Her breath shuddered in and out as he weighed her breasts in his palms. Just then she had started to think like a demon, was unsettled and curious feeling his lips and fangs graze the back of her neck, his tongue laving up to her nape line.

"And about the well..."

"Later." He buried his face into her hair and put one hand between her legs, sealing her firmly with his palm. He clung to her, moving in deep, slow circles. The other was at her throat. Gently, he held her pulse, and she ground her hips into him, into his hand. Her helpless, sighing moans aggravated him further, and he pressed her arching torso back to his chest.

"Is… is this why you left? Because you wanted..."

Kagome felt herself being yanked.

He turned and seated her so that she faced him. His eyes, usually coldly beautiful, smoldered, and it left a heady impression on her.

Claws pricked at her waist, the exposed arc of her hips. "That's not the only reason," he said. "But I refuse to beg for it." Yet that was all she could hear and see. His voice had dropped to a despairing whisper, and his face, undemonstrative as it normally was, was terribly strained. And when he dropped his forehead to her collarbone, it seemed he'd shrug out of his dignity at any moment.

Kagome, sympathetic yet darkly thrilled, wasn't sure if she wanted to see that. He might hate her for it, proud as he was. "You wouldn't have to beg." She squeezed her legs around him, and he rocked against her.

If she thought to please him with only her mouth tonight Sesshomaru would take it but would be severely disappointed. As much as he loved nudging the back of her throat, and how she took him in and stroked with her tongue and lips, it wasn't enough. That was a snack to a full course meal, a measure above taking his own pleasure. At this point, he didn't care if it were fast or slow, tender or rough. However she wanted it would suit him. _Just let it happen_ , was his thought process.

Kagome was breathless. It seemed his white hair was everywhere in her eyes. Surrounded by it, she grabbed handfuls of it and kissed him deeply, savoring the taste, her body rolling in a slow wind of breasts to hips. A sharp intake of air tapered into a growl, and Sesshomaru reciprocated just as slow and deliberate but with more enthusiasm in his movements. The fluttery quiver spreading throughout her body made her moan into his mouth, and she crushed harder onto his erection, sucked on his tongue.

One hand dragged down beneath the swell of her backside, then up again, slipping under the elastic band of her pajamas, the other weighing on her back and holding her close. He wanted to feel her strain and twist against him. She gasped as he skimmed over slippery flesh, the brush mostly knuckles and fingertips, with the merest nuance of claws. Breathing hotly in her ear, he pinched her pubic lips together, the right side and the left. Then he massaged her adoringly, stroked her with his fingers, caressed her, pat her; spread her own wetness over her clit.

Moaning softly, Kagome felt her behind shaped by firm hands; lifted, wiggled, separated, and _smacked_. She yelped when he hit her, though it wasn't much of a slap. But it was enough to leave a red mark on her. He smoothed his hand over the welt, then smacked her again. It stung, but she knew that wasn't his aim—she hoped not glimpsing smiling fang teeth. It was his mounting passion, and because he got all worked up about it, she let it happen once more.

With a lingering, sweeping caress, he collected her ambrosia on his fingers. Kagome saw them disappear into his mouth.

"I love this too, " he said.

Her heart could burst. And she was well aware of his greedy mouth. He tasted because he couldn't help it. She remembered perfectly the first time when he buried his face between her legs, smeared his cheeks, inhaled her aroma. His lips glistening with her wetness was the raunchiest thing she'd ever seen. Sesshomaru was dangerous in that regard. He gave as much for his delight as hers.

"Can we… on the bed?"

He kissed her, and she tasted herself. "It will creak," he rasped.

And then his shirt was going over his head, hers as well. He helped her out of her pajamas and panties, and suddenly she realized that she was only one entirely naked. But she ached to touch him, to feel his pale, silken skin, his muscled chest. Her hands were everywhere, in his hair, down the planes of his face, sliding hungrily over his flat stomach, squeezing his thighs.

He pinched and pulled her nipples, let go, pulled again, and after he had kissed them fervidly, he took one in his mouth. She flinched feeling the nip of fangs, and when he finished with the other breast, she descended upon his neck with loud kisses, pulling him nearer to press his sweltering body to hers. She relished in the closeness of him, had even closed her eyes, so she didn't see the movement he made with his claws and teeth. She felt him shift underneath her, then she felt his fingers inside of her, moving in an upward motion that made her arch with pleasure.

She groaned as he withdrew from her. "Oh," she sighed in a pointed ear, gripping his hair tightly in her hands while his own breathing became more pronounced.

He was torturing her, intending to work her into a trembling, sopping mess. He stroked her swollen lips, spread her open, massaged her throbbing clit, all of which he did for just a few moments before plunging back inside. It made a sticky little sound that had him murmuring all sorts of things in some hot, filthy language. In a rough and cracked voice, he told her how much he loved her cunt as if prizing it above everything in the world. It was senseless, heated talk that gave Kagome mixed feelings at first, but it went quickly to her blood and she writhed all the same.

She put up a stiff struggle, blushed and gasped and tried to close her legs together at the knees. She gave a soft cry. The misery between her legs turned into something closer to pain. He wasn't trying to satisfy her at all. He was trying to incite. Thus his curling fingers became her sweetest despair, exciting her more and more.

Sesshomaru swallowed hard. He took pleasure in her angry frustration, even stopping to hold his hand an inch from her feminine heat just to watch her struggle after it. She was begging him, but instead he nipped her shoulder and scraped his claws up her back, leaving clear traces of her essence on her skin.

"Here," he said hotly, taking her wrist, "put your hand on this."

She touched him, and then she was fighting with the drawstring, pulling until she saw his thick erection and the lush white fur which surrounded the base. Nothing she hadn't seen before, but she reared back for a moment to appreciate it; his naked body too and the stripes that trailed down an exquisitely muscled abdomen.

She wrapped her hand around it and bent forward.

"Wait," he gasped.

Kagome flipped her hair from her face and gazed up from his groin. "Don't you want me to?"

Sesshomaru struggled with the cruel question.

"... it makes me weak." Unable to maintain his filter, he blurt out the first thing that popped into his head. But the way he said it, and coupled with his vulnerable expression, made her want to stuff him inside her mouth even more. "I'd rather fuck you," he said. Kagome ran her tongue over the tip anyway, taking her own pleasure in feeling it twitch in her mouth, in seeing his stomach draw in, his fangs sliding down from under his lip. She sat up and, with her hand, tormented him with a slow, winding motion.

She stroked him confidently, and Sesshomaru was mesmerized. It didn't matter if it wasn't exactly how he liked it. Her grip was exquisite, and her undisguised desire and eagerness to please really steamed him up. His arms dropped to the floor. Unsure what to focus on, he switched between her hand, breasts, and face, grunting softly as she twisted around him with an intimate slowness.

The scent of her pervaded the room. It filled his senses, and he could still taste her at the back of his throat. He couldn't control himself, and he snatched her up fast and kissed her more forcefully than before.

Kagome straddled him, her weight pinning his erection to his groin. She hesitated when he began to rise at the hips, his shaft sliding in between her slit and stimulating overexcited nerves. But then she was grinding on his lap, wondering if she could take him. She thought so. She was soaking wet, and the wet coated him too. Claws flexed on her hips, and she glanced from his tortured lap. From the pressure of his claws alone, she could feel the intensity of his torment and strength. This was her final warning.

Sesshomaru was trying so hard. He looked _desperate_ to be inside of her.

But she wanted him on her own terms.

Kagome rose a bit, and in the humid space between them, and though he hadn't moved his hips, she felt an imploring bump against her entrance, and another. His stomach drew sharply each time he did this, emphasizing lines and ridges with every prod. Her heart thundered. He couldn't close his mouth. Their chests swelled in rapid breaths. She gripped his shaft and asked: "Promise you won't hurt me?"

 _Mercy,_ he thought.

He bit back a choked sound of frustration, threw his head back to the edge of the bed. It was like she intended to keep him in torment. "I'll promise anything," he said fast, "just _sit_."

And it was the longest few seconds. He was glaring at Kagome and wanting her.

She stared into his face, into his eyes which seemed more teal than gold. Red edged them. "You promised," she muttered, but as she held onto his shoulder, she may as well be talking to herself.

Sesshomaru didn't know what he promised, nor did he care. He thought that letting her take over was a horrible idea, cursed himself for forfeiting control until she positioned herself and, slowly, eased herself down onto his cock.

He could hardly believe the velvety heat of her.

"Tight, tight," she heard him groan, as if a chant, his voice so deep and drawn out that it sounded like he was in pain. She gasped, and as she gasped she saw his chest heave, felt his legs tense, then she saw his eyes close. She was seated entirely, and it didn't hurt that bad, which was a surprise considering his girth. She did, however, feel an incredible sensation of pressure against a mysterious place deep inside her. And when he started to move his hips, his thick width stretching her mercilessly, they shared a moan together.

The weight of his arm was on her back. He was reaching to feel himself throb between his fingers as he stretched her. She was like a vice grip, and some weak noise was in his throat. His claws were at her waist, lifting her to see her sex pulling tightly along his. He focused on that for a while and that didn't seem right to Kagome.

"Look at me," she demanded. Unbeknownst to her, it was one of those inexplicable male things—watching themselves fuck. "Please."

With a groan, he did, and the passion she had for him in her eyes made him stop. As she continued to rotate her hips, she held his grimacing face, her thumbs smoothing at the corners of his mouth. Never in his life had he been threatened with such raw intimacy. He felt strangely anxious, which only added to his current lack of pretense. He would be lying if he said he imagined that he'd enjoy taking her this way; her moaning on top, himself groaning on the bottom. But he knew that he must indulge the human condition to have Kagome, and that she only liked the nuance of peril.

Now he understood fully why she said: "Not like this" the first time he tried to have her.

But would she indulge in his nature? He hoped as she shivered around him, pressed her lips to his jaw. He wouldn't lose any respect or affection for her if she got on all fours and let him arch her back till it cracks. If she let him rub raw the skin on her knees, draw a little blood, he'd adore her more for it. He might even tell her the real reason why he's been wandering off into Tokyo lately.

"I want to feel your lips on me," she said.

He kissed her, then pressed her aching breasts to his chest.

The problem with that is it sounded exactly like: _' Have me and I'll give you what you want.'_ That didn't bode well with demoness either. Sesshomaru didn't have the finesse to so easily explain that.

 _When I'm at that bridge…_

For then, he'd fuck her lovingly.

Sesshomaru found her clit and she moaned. He stroked with his fingers while he stroked inside, and she clenched, relaxed, and clenched, the two raptures mingling and spiraling into one mind-melting sensation. "More," Kagome begged him. "Please… I just want..." She shoved her neck against his open mouth, urging him to bite. She felt him tense, his breath gusting warm and damp on her skin. He bit her hard enough to draw blood, and they swooned, swaying together, his teeth clenching her still, their bodies slick with sweat, their hips grinding perfectly as if riding the same preorgasmic wave, until she could no longer take the searing hot pain of those biting fangs of his.

 _That_ did him in.

With the taste of her blood on his tongue, he held her, his hands sinking into yielding flesh as he lifted her, and she let out a broken shriek—tried to smother it—as he drove her down onto his lap. Kagome tossed her head, her hair falling against her back, sticking to it, and when he dropped her down just as hard she tossed her head again.

"Yes," he whispered, his breaths coming in growls and pants. "Keep making that face. I love it."

Kagome dared to look at his, saw that it was flushed, the bold red of his eyes. She loved the groans falling from blood-stained lips and the fall of silver which streamed down to the floor. There was that weird feeling again. Every time he said _"love"_ made her flutter. She very well knew the context, but it didn't matter so long as it was related to her in some way. She would take what she could get.

She took in more of him when he snatched her legs around his waist. He was a relentless, hard thing driving into her, and she was arching and gasping and digging into his shoulders. She was close, and Sesshomaru knew, could feel her clenching around him, her every flutter. He kept pace. Not harder, not faster. He fucked her just like that, rising to meet her as he thrust her downward.

If only Kagome didn't clamp so tightly. She was too much, and he wouldn't last.

He unseated her with a lurch and held her suspended over him. Then he fixed her hot, aching sex to his navel.

Kagome nearly cried. She was suddenly so empty. That was cruel of him.

"No, please…" She strained for it, her swollen sex lined with his, and he quickly gathered her hair in his fist, yanking back her head to stop her.

Weak and gasping, he jerked her face to his. "I need a moment." With her lips, Kagome went for his mouth, needing contact, any contact at all. " _Damn,"_ he growled.

And moments later, she felt him move, the rough carpet scratching her back, a substantial weight between her thighs, his tongue laving the blood on her neck, and in the same movement, Sesshomaru sinking deep inside until his stomach lay flush against hers. She could see under her bed, see the stashed bottle of liquor from New Year's. He came upon his elbows and proceeded to fuck her, and she arched so rigidly that she lifted his hips with hers. She reached for him and clenched her legs together. His thrusts were hard under her hands, abandoned and exquisitely jarring.

He abruptly smothered the low, guttural sound that started to rise up out of her throat. Claws twitched at her jawline. She couldn't breathe but didn't care about air. She felt airy and detached, as if stretching out in all directions. Yet pressure mounted. She shuddered, and it seemed suddenly she had to pee. Only that wasn't what trickled down the swell of her and onto the carpet. She heard him swearing between thrusts, the wet sound of skin against skin. He was thrusting in that quick, animal way, and Kagome was coiling tighter and tighter until she rose at the hips and felt herself shattering.

Sesshomaru fucked her through her orgasm. She gasped and sobbed through it, though it was muffled under his hand. A noise like that would have awakened the entire house. He hoped to take her in his chambers someday. Then Kagome could scream as loud as wanted. His eyes were watery. She was snatching his hair with quite a force. But the pain didn't bother him. It made it better for him, that and the ruthless pull of her quivering around him. He drove harder into her, nearing his brink.

Kagome thought she might snap. Yet despite this, she understood that _quiet_ would have to be a collaborative effort. Her hand flew to his mouth too, and as he came he shuddered and choked behind it. He continued to pump into her, though his movements were weak and uncontrolled.

Above her, Sesshomaru bent forward like a beaten dog, barely keeping the full weight of himself from her as he moved to the side, still throbbing inside. They panted for air, the rasping breaths vacillating between them as they lay on the floor. Her heart pounded against his for a while, then he pulled out of her.

The first thing he noticed was that her neck still bled.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It's nothing." She hissed as he ran his tongue over it. "Just not so hard next time."

He sat on the back of his knees, his heart thundering still. "I can't promise—" Sesshomaru shut up and she laughed. He did promise. "That's not fair. You encouraged it. Was it that painful?"

"A little," she said, sitting upright. "I kind of liked it so I don't know."

He glanced from what seeped between her legs. His and hers, but mostly his. "Make sense," he said.

"I will not."

 **A/N:** This is the first time Kagome and Sesshomaru _actually_ had sex in any of my stories. Anyway, the next chapter will be particularly emotional. Not to mention we have to check up on the dogs, so I'll have to take my time with it. Thanks for reading!


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